House Meet Who
by ArtisticGallifreyan
Summary: All is well in Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Until the Doctor himself checks in. Crossover with House MD and Doctor Who. Also featuring Houses' new cane with the flames so that it makes it look like he's going really fast.
1. The Doctor checks in

(House and Cuddy)

"Could somebody get me my damned vicodin pills? Where the fuck is my cane? You know, the ones with flames burning down the sides?!" A middle aged doctor snapped, who was also known as the infamous Doctor Gregory House. The doctor, who was taking a permanent leave of absence from his white coat, sat in the meeting room of the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Yet again, the Clinic was jam packed with paranoid patients who eagerly waited on a doctor to tend to their every whim, complaint and fear – yet House didn't feel like Clinic work today. He was quite aware that Cuddy would track him down sooner or later, but his leg hurt like a bitch and the last thing he needed was a hypochondriac suggesting that they may have meningococcal resulting from nothing but a headache and a swollen toe.

Realising that the ducklings were off doing Clinic work themselves, he took a deep disgruntled breath and stared blankly at the clean white board.

"Why can't a patient that's dying of something interesting just walk into the hospital… Is it too much to ask? And screw the vicodin, maybe I can sway Cuddy into giving me some morphine… Not that it would work." His thick, deep and forceful American accent was clearly evident in his voice, reflecting a figure that was well educated and articulate, yet also one struggling with inner demons of his own. Carefully, he pushed himself out of the chair and he limped towards the far end of the meeting room, where he saw his cane.

"Ah! Perfect. Looks like somebody has a weird and twisted fetish for displacing good looking canes. I'll give that title to Chase. The accent is annoying, and so are his motives…" He reached down for his cane, and standing it upright he immediately shifted the weight from the bummed leg to his good leg and his cane. For a moment, possibly even a split second, a brief smirk cracked on his face but this was shortly replaced by that constant smug look he always kept. As he hobbled back to his chair, the glass doors slammed open and in walked none-other then the Ice Queen herself – Lisa Cuddy.

"HOUSE!" She snapped. Her expression was clearly south of a smile and House knew exactly why her PMS had decided to activate.

"Three…Two…One..." He thought, awaiting Cuddy's bombardment of verbal abuse and complaints.

"  
"Bingo…"

"House! The Clinic is jam-packed today and all you can think about is sitting on your arse and trying to avoid it! We need all the doctors we can get and I know we haven't had any 'interesting' cases lately but I need you to go to the Clinic and just do your damned job! Understand?"

House stood there for a moment while leaning so calmly on his cane.  
"You know as well as me that most of those patients are suffering something no worse then the common cold. Don't get me wrong, we get the unusual life threatening case on rare occasions, but until somebody in that waiting room lapses into a coma or a seizure then I think Chase, Cameron, Foreman and all the other doctors slaving away at your request can handle the patients.."

"Just get down there and do your job. As I said before, we need all the doctors we can get, now move!" Cuddy clearly wasn't impressed, but she knew House, and she knew that he would eventually go down and do his job. It just took a bit of persuading and threatening.

"Fine, but the next 'interesting' case that walks or convulses into this hospital belongs to me and my team, alright?"

"Fine, just get out of here before I fire you…"

A smirk appeared on Houses' face. "Yeah, I can 'really' see that happening…" Sarcasm was flooding his tone by now, but without further rebuttal from Cuddy, he limped out of the room and took his time while he made his way to the Clinic.

(Foreman and Cameron)

"As per usual, House doesn't show up for Clinic Duty. And in tradition, Cuddy would most likely be yelling at him… And threatening to fire him…" Cameron sighed while staring blatantly at her clipboard and walking alongside her colleague – Eric Foreman. A skilled neurologist but also a man who could get a tad too opinionated at times, especially when it came to standing in the way of Houses' brilliant yet insane ideas and methods.

"I agree. Maybe he will get fired one day…Maybe not. All I know is that if he keeps up this attitude towards his job AND his patients then we're going to have a repeat of Tridder, and trust me. I don't want the hospital to go through that again…" Foreman said sternly. He admired and despised House at the same time. In his boss, Foreman could see brilliance; in fact, anyone could – Although unfortunately that brilliance he admired was shrouded within the pain, anguish and pessimism that was 'House'.

"Relax Foreman, we've got the best lawyers on our side, and the odds of that happening again are pretty slim. " Cameron had always been the reassuring type, and she tended to be the one that would stick up and verbally defend her boss.

"I know that, but it could be avoided altogether if House just decided to stop being an ass for once.." Foreman's impression of House rarely ever changed. House was a genius. He was brilliant. He was a mastermind when it came to solving any mystery cloaked in the human body. But, he was an ass all the same.

"Fine, whatever you say. He's still a brilliant doctor though…" Cameron said with a mocking smile on her face, and with the clipboard firmly gripped in her hand she peered down and read over who her next patient was. "Alright, I've got to go to Exam Room 3. I'll talk to you later." And in hurried footsteps, Cameron made her way down the corridor and took a right turn into the Exam room.

"Alright. See you 'round." The neurologist sighed while watching his colleague walk off, and then he peered down at his own clipboard. "On to Exam Room 5 then…" And with that, he continued on his way to his destination.

(Wilson and Candice – Patient)

It had certainly been a tiring day, with consult after consult, leaving the oncologist sitting comfortably in his chair and watching the fan make multiple rotations per second. Dealing with terminal patients wasn't the easiest job to accomplish, but Wilson had a knack for this sort of thing, and he always felt as though he could actually connect with his patients and help them. Maybe not physically – As instantly eradicating terminal cancer was improbable and impossible, but he could always offer the right words and means of spiritual and emotional support.

Shortly after fiddling with a spare pen that had been lying on the desk, he perked his head up when he saw the doorknob slowly turn, and the door opened to reveal one of his sickly looking patients.

"Hello. You asked me to see you? I got the phone call this morning…" She said weakly. The patient appeared to be quite petite in size and height. The young woman, aged no more then 23 to 25 years old, and no more then 5'5 in height was clearly the definition and prime example of a terminal cancer patient. Her eyes were sunken in with dark patches under her eyes; her skin was a ghostly white and her lethargic and tired nature was clearly evident in the way that she approached Dr. Wilson's desk.

Taking a seat, Dr. Wilson smiled and sat upright in his chair.

"I'm glad you received my phone call. First off, how are you feeling?"

The patient, known as Candice Hadrow, shuffled slightly in her chair and she took a deep breath before she answered his question.

"Well, I suppose everything's been the same…You know…Being constantly tired, throwing up…Hasn't really changed at all…" She sighed, not exactly sure what else to say.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that. But what I wanted to know was how you're actually coping with your illness." Asking personal questions was risky and very tedious but it was a necessary part of his job.

Tears welled up in the patient's eyes, but she did her best to wipe them away. "I'm fine, really. I'll get all emotional now and then but to be honest, I just have to accept this and take life as it comes. No matter how short it is..."

"Good, that's a good attitude. Just remember that I'm here for you and you'll always have my support…But I've got some news on your cancer and it's up to you if you want to hear it or not." Wilson pulled out a yellow envelope from one of his drawers and placed it gently on the desk.

"It's your choice Candice." He said, a sympathetic look on his face.

Candice carefully eyed the yellow envelope, and very slowly she nodded her head. "I already know that I'm terminal. Whatever you're going to tell me won't change that…"

Dr. Wilson nodded and out of the envelope he pulled out a few sheets of paper along with an MRI image. "After doing a few tests on your liver cancer…We found that its growth rate has accelerated as it's considerably larger then it was at the last test we performed on it. I know this isn't good news, but we always have the option of giving you chemotherapy or radiation to slow it down…"  
His eyes were filled with sympathy, and he never liked being the bearer of bad news but what else was there to do? She was his patient, and she had an obligation to know what was happening inside her body – No matter how bad it may be.

"Oh." Candice paused; the back of her hand quickly met her eyes as she wiped away the tears that were constantly welling. "So, if it slows the cancer down. How much longer will I get?"

Wilson took a deep breath, and sighed. "Perhaps a month at the most. I'm sorry this isn't good news."

Candice shook her head. "No, you're the doctor, and you're only doing your job and what you think is best. I'll think about the options…But thankyou for keeping me informed. I appreciate it." She smiled and stood back up.

"Remember, if you have anymore questions or if you just need somebody to talk to, don't hesitate to call so we can arrange an appointment. Have a good day Candice…" A warm and gentle smile appeared on his face, but deep inside he almost felt pity for her. Here he was, sitting at his desk with his cushy job and earning a fairly decent wage, with a potential life that ended with dying of old age, and there was Candice. Young, with so much life and potential, except for the fact that the cancer was eating away at her inside and that she barely had a few more months to live.

"Alright… Thanks Dr. Wilson!" Candice said cheerfully. For once, a smile appeared on her face, and she carefully exited out the doors and made her way back to where she was supposed to be.

"Anytime Candice…" He sighed, and he leant back in his chair and continued to stare at the ceiling.

(Chase and 'The Doctor')

"Ouch…Out of all the places the TARDIS had to stop…Why did it have to be the 21st century on Earth? And if it hadn't been for that bike rider that ran into me then I wouldn't have this chest pain and be in this hospital…" He thought.

The Doctor (a 900 year old Time Lord who was the last of his kind), wouldn't normally be in a 21st century Earth hospital, but thanks to a clumsy bike rider who crashed into him shortly after he exited the TARDIS, there was a strong chance that a few of his ribs had been broken in the process. Although he had accelerated healing, the pain was unusually strong and for all he knew, a rib could have punctured one of his internal organs. He'd still heal, and he couldn't really take anything for the pain due to his internal body chemistry although he could at least be checked out and become a bit more comfortable.

The TARDIS wasn't going anywhere and The Doctor utterly and fully understood every risk he was taking while being in a human hospital. Humans at this time were paranoid. Alien life had not yet been discovered and if they did happen to find an alien… Well, he didn't plan on being the first, but he did need the medical assistance.  
He may be called The Doctor but he certainly wasn't anything like a real medical practitioner.

He sat down on the examining table and gently pressed on a sore spot around his ribs. "Argh!" He groaned, the pain shooting through the whole ribcage area. Not a smart idea in his opinion. He could feel his two hearts pounding inside his chest, and lifting up his pinstripe suit he could see the bruises starting to turn a nice shade of black and blue. Possibly even a bit of purple, but he wasn't going to be the one to judge the extent of the damage inflicted on him.

Just as he went to reach for his Sonic Screwdriver to check it if he still had it (which he did), the door to Exam Room number 2 opened and inside walked a blonde haired, green eyed doctor. His name was Doctor Chase, and he was one of the most skilled doctors that also worked under House as part of his team.

"Good morning…" He said in a thick Australian accent while peering down at his clipboard briefly, and then placing it on the table to the side. "I'm Doctor Chase, and what seems to be the problem?"

The Doctor sighed and pointed to his chest. "Well, the most annoying thing happened while I was on the street this morning. I took a taxi to work, stepped out on the sidewalk and all of a sudden this bike rider comes flying down the footpath and collides with me! I don't really know what hit me first, the wheel or the rider…But I've got these bloody chest pains that haven't really gone away…You know, hurts when I breathe, walk around, stuff like that." He said whilst shrugging. The innocence in his expression was still there, and luckily for him he was a pretty good liar when it came to covering up just who and what he truly was.

"Well…Oh wait, one thing…" He said, leaning over and glancing down at the clipboard for a quick moment before grabbing it along with a pen. "I might need this…" He laughed weakly, and then prepared to write an evaluation of the patient down on the sheet. "So…What's your name?"

"John. John Smith. That's my name…" The Doctor lied, using possibly the two most common and generic names ever used in the English language.

"Alright John… How old are you?"

"I'm 30…" Another lie, but he had to safeguard his identity.

"Alright… And you're suffering from severe chest and abdominal pains due to the result of a bike colliding into you?"

"Yep…That sounds about right to me…"

"Perfect. Well, just to make sure everything's alright with your heart, I'm going to use a stethoscope so I can hear what's going on in there. It won't tell me everything, so I'll have to get you in for an X-Ray. Most likely you've broken a couple of ribs, but there may be internal damage as well. Alright…This won't take long."

The doctor paused for a moment when he heard Dr. Chase mention the word 'heart', and he smiled weakly. "Do you really think that's necessary? I'm sure my heart is fine…Maybe all I need is some bed rest…"

Chase shook his head. "Well, if you were actually hit by a bike, then for all we know you could have a couple of ribs puncturing some important internal organs. And the earlier we find the damage, the faster you'll recover. Don't worry, X-Ray machines are perfectly safe and there's certainly nothing to be worried about for stethoscopes…" He said, retrieving the stethoscope from the shelf and then walking back over to his patient.

He plugged the two earpieces into his ears, and carefully reached the third end out and placed it on The Doctor's chest.

_BOOM boom…….BOOM boom…….BOOM boom……BOOM boom…_

"That's odd…" Chase said quietly, listening in on one side. There was certainly a strong beat, but he could have sworn he heard a separate beat. It was slightly quieter then the first, but he was sure he could hear a second beat.

He lightly moved the stethoscope away from where the heart was supposed to be, and further towards the right, and that's when his eyes widened from shock.  
The second heartbeat got louder, creating an even and steady 'double' heart beat.

_BOOM BOOM…..BOOM BOOM……BOOM BOOM…..BOOM BOOM_

He listened for a second time before placing the stethoscope to the side and he scribbled something down on his keyboard.  
_Unusual Heart rate_

"Do you suffer from a condition known as 'Cardiac arrhythmia'? If you don't know what that is, it's actually a group of conditions where the electrical activity of the heart is irregular or faster or slower then usual…It's not serious, but it can be, and your heart beat is highly irregular so I need to know if you have it, or if your family has had any genetic history from it." Dr. Chase seemed determined on finding an answer, because he was certain that he heard not one, but two separate heart beats pounding away at his patient's chest.

The Doctor looked up for a moment, and taking a deep breath he shook his head. "No…Not that I know of. Never really heard of that condition actually, but I suppose if one of my parents had it then they would have told me…"

Dr. Chase nodded, and he once again scribbled another note down on his sheet of paper attached to the clipboard.  
_Possible Cardiac arrhythmia_

"Well, I definitely want your irregular heart beat to get checked out as soon as possible. As for your ribs, I'll need you unbutton your shirt for a moment…" In compliance, The Doctor unbuttoned his shirt, and exposed his chest to the doctor, which certainly raised a few eyebrows from Chase. "I'm definitely ordering that X-Ray. No doubt you've broken at least two or more ribs, and possibly damaged an organ in the process. I want to keep you here tonight for observation, but also so we can make sure everything is in order…"

"Is that really necessary? I mean, I'm fine! Actually…I think I can walk out of this hospital now. See?" The Doctor said, trying to stand up although the moment his feet touched the floor he was forced to sit back down on the chair due to the sharp stabbing pain from his broken ribs.

Chase shook his head. "You're not going anywhere outside this hospital. The more you walk around, the more damage you're going to do to yourself. Come on, I'll escort you to your room but the only walking you're going to be doing is to your room, and to the X-Ray. And I'm going to hook you up to a heart monitor to find out if you actually have Cardiac arrhythmia. Just to be safe…"

"Fine, whatever you say…" Grumbled the Doctor. He was glad that he was receiving treatment, but he didn't want the doctors nosing in on the future results of his medical tests. "If worse comes to worst, I'll just have to make a run for it. But where else am I going to get proper medical treatment. I don't trust the future…Last time I went there I was almost tortured." He thought, but without further complaint he painfully slid off the chair and held onto the chair's arm rests for support.

Chase quickly scribbled one last note down on the clipboard so he wouldn't forget.

_Broken Ribs_

_Schedule an X-Ray  
Perform blood test_

_  
Inform House of possible new case._

And with that, Chase helped support the Doctor as he helped the wounded patient make his way from the Exam Room and towards his room where'd he be staying for overnight observation. And possibly longer…


	2. Two hearts? Impossible

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own the show House MD or Doctor Who, and I don't own the characters.

Chapter 2

"So…" House stated, resting on his cane and analysing his patient. A 35 year old man who was visibly overweight who looked as pale as a sheet of paper.

"You say that you've been feeling 'stomach cramps?'" He asked, a slight pinch of ignorance in his voice.

"Well, yeah. I mean, after I stopped off for a quick lunch, I really started to feel sick. And normally I can stomach most foods…"

"Certainly looks that way…" House muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" The man shot back.

"Oh nothing… Nothing dishonest anyway. But if you ate McDonalds and plunged down a couple of Big Macs, which you noticeably did – Then obviously you're going to feel sick. Quit wasting my time and come back when you're actually dying." House said, and he gestured towards the door. In response, the man awkwardly pushed himself off the chair and then began to walk towards the exit.

"Dude, you're the worst doctor I've ever had! I'm never having you as my doctor again!" The patient complained, although House cracked a cynical smile and continued to gesture towards the door.

"'Dude', just stop forking down the big Macs and 'like', 'totally' eat healthy for once." Once House had taken his sarcastic interpretation of the man to a whole new level, he simmered it down and put on a serious face.  
"But next time you decide to waste my time, go to a doctor that actually cares about your issues…" He said, and with that – The discontented patient walked out the exit and pulled the door shut behind him, creating a loud 'bang'.

"Looks like he hasn't fed his sweet tooth enough." House thought. Although he could take a menacing and forceful stance towards patients, it was his genius and intellect that allowed him to see those who were actually sick, and those that had personal issues or people that just felt like getting attention or wasting his time.

House had currently been working down in the Clinic for a few hours now, and every patient he had seen had proved his hypothesis to Cuddy. There were no interesting cases, no life-threatening conditions or diseases and the worst case that he diagnosed today was herpes. Didn't really get any more exciting then that.

Just as he was about to leave the Exam room, he could hear that family voice of Cuddy, trying to reassure a patient that House was just an ass and that he was only doing his job.

"Please sir! He can get a bit arrogant at times, but he is a highly valued doctor at this hospital!" No doubt that was Cuddy.

"Whatever! I'm never coming to this stupid hospital again! Good-BYE!" No doubt, that was the overweight patient that House had just examined. Normally, any other doctor would be fearing for their job after this, but not House.

"_Click click click" _Sounded the heels of Cuddy's shoes as she walked in the Exam room with a very displeased look on her face.

"House…" She growled, obviously too mad to search for words.

"He had too many big Macs. I told him to stop shoving them down, but he got mad. And that's the end of the story."

"But you can't just keep being an arrogant ass to our-"  
Cuddy was cut off by House as he made his way to the door.

"Relax, hopefully this will steer him clear of a path to suicidal obesity, so in a way I may have saved his life. Now, if you don't mind I'm going to see it my slaves have brought me anything remotely interesting. And also to check if my anti-depressants are still there."

"Anti-Depressants? What for?" Cuddy asked curiously.

House gave a sarcastic leer on his face. "Apparently I'm supposed to take two every time you walk into the room."

Once again, Cuddy was speechless and pissed off while she watched Gregory House exit the room and disappear down the corridor.

(Chase, Cameron, Foreman and House)

Chase held the clipboard firmly in his hand. It felt like it had been a long day, and he had examined patient after patient but the one case that really stood out was John Smith.

"A double heart beat, must be cardiac arrhythmia. There's no other explanation." He muttered to himself. Indeed, the patient certainly had sustained broken ribs although there was something about this man that didn't feel quite right.

Turning this way and that, he slipped past a few doctors and nurses chatting in the corridor, and eventually he arrived at the meeting room. "Whiteboard's blank. Well, if I'm lucky, I may have found a case… Better wait until I tell House. Don't want to set everyone up for disappointment…" Chase sighed, and in thinking he ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Has to be an answer to this…" He said a little too loudly.

"Answer to what?" Cameron interrupted, entering through the doorway. "Please tell me you have a case, because right now, it's got to be way more stimulating than an STI."

"You know, I'm not really sure yet, but –"

"Somebody has a case? About time…" This time, it was Foreman.

"Don't know yet!" Chase said, beginning to get somewhat frustrated from all the interruptions. "I mean, it's probably nothing but there's this unusual –"

"Unusual? That word sounds very appealing right now!" The three ducklings spun around, and all eyes watching House limp his way over to his chair and sit down.

"If any of you have a case remotely more interesting then obesity, herpes and the common cold – Then please, be my guest."

Chase glanced down at his clipboard, and back up at House, and then he peered around to the room to look at Cameron and Foreman. "I'm not really sure if this even is a case. Might not seem that odd but-"

"Don't care! Just fill us in anyway!" House exclaimed. "I'm not getting any younger and age certainly isn't doing any favours for Cuddy, so talk!"

"Alright. Well, shortly this morning a patient called John Smith entered the hospital complaining of severe chest pains resulting from a bike rider colliding with his chest. So, I-"

Chase was quickly interrupted by an impatient House. "So, how old and gruesome will Cuddy be by the time you're done? 100, maybe 200 years old?"

Chase rolled his eyes and continued to talk.  
"So, I thought I'd check out his heart to make sure everything was alright inside. The moment I placed the stethoscope on his chest I either heard a severe case of cardiac arrhythmia or… Two heart beats."

" Ok! Who's been feeding the kangaroo my vicodin? If there's anybody that's going to get high, it's me!" House exclaimed, feeling the need to publicly humiliate and mock the frustrated Australian.

Cameron didn't look too convinced either. "So your patient has cardiac arrhythmia? It's unusual but it's certainly not anything we can't handle. There's no chance that your patient has two heart beats…For that, you'd need…"

"Two hearts, I know. I didn't believe myself when I first heard it but when I listened to where his heart was supposed to be, I could hear a strong beat, but I could also hear something else. So I moved the stethoscope further over to his right side and that's when I could clearly hear the two beats."

"Chase, it's 'Cardiac Arrhythmia', nothing else. Just get his broken ribs sorted out, fix up the Cardiac Arrhythmia with a Pace Maker and then discharge him." Foreman didn't seem to be taking any of this in.

"Cardiac Arrhythmia seems to be the only 'possible' explanation, but this doesn't sound like any cardiac arrhythmia I've ever heard." Chase knew he sounded foolish, but the more he explained it, the more he felt that he had a case to argue and investigate.

House kept silent for a moment, and then finally spoke up.

"What room is he in now?"

"Room 140A. Why?"

"I think I'm going to be paying John Smith a visit. But if this is a waste of time then we're all putting the blame on Chase." House then stood up, grabbed his cane and 'hurried' out the door.

(The Doctor and House)

The Doctor, while sitting on his bed and staring at the wall (The back of the bed had been adjusted so that he could sit upright), wondered just how long he had been here at the hospital. Doctor Chase had not yet attached the Doctor to the heart monitor, as he had to help out with another patient on short notice but that was something the Doctor was really not looking forward to.

"How ironic, the Doctor gets placed in a hospital under the help of Doctors…" He though whilst his hands patted up and down on his lap. He hadn't even changed out of his clothes as the hospital seemed to be in overdrive today. Obviously Saturdays were the days when people decided to seek attention from busy doctors.

Basically, he had just been led to his room, placed on the bed and left there although he knew the doctor's wouldn't just discharge him straight away. Not until is ribs were checked out and until the doctors had some answers of their own.

"Oh, what's that I wonder…" He thought, reaching out towards the side table where he happened to notice a mobile phone that somebody had absent-mindedly left behind.

"Don't touch that. It belongs to my 'friend'. Wilson can't even keep track of all his patients let alone his phone." House muttered.

"Who are you?"" The Doctor asked curiously. His thick English accent was unmistakably noticeable. He had become accustomed to seeing doctors in white lab coats, and those who appeared to have a much more 'calm and professional' nature.

"I'm Dr. House, and unfortunately, I'll be your-"

To House's frustration, the Doctor felt the need to interrupt him. "Doctor? Shouldn't you be wearing a white coat?"

House limped over towards the Doctor without any further verbal retaliation, and instantly he switched on the heart monitor. A flat line appeared on the screen, but now was the time to confirm Chase's theory, and create a case for House and his team to solve.

He placed the finger 'clip' onto one of the Doctor's fingers, allowing the pulse to be monitored, and that was the 'fun began'.

On the screen, both the Doctor and Doctor House stared at the green line where twin peaks spiked up, went flat and then spiked up again."

_Beep Beep, beep beep, beep beep, beep beep, beep beep_

House stared at the monitor for a moment longer, and then looked at the doctor and then back at the screen again.

"Impossible…" House said, his piercing blue eyes fixed solely on the monitor.

The Doctor kept silent, not exactly knowing an excuse that would get him out of this.

Without delay, house immediately grabbed a spare stethoscope from the side table, plugged it into his ears and placed the third end flat on The Doctor's chest.

Houses' expression was certainly priceless. He listened closely, pulled it away and then pressed it back on his chest.

"Impossible…" He repeated, placing the stethoscope to the side after pulling it from his ears. He knew clearly enough that this wasn't anything like Cardiac Arrhythmia. The beat (or beats) was too steady and it didn't appear as though anything were out of sync. There was just an extra beat that was as strong as the first.

"So… I don't suppose I'm getting discharged anytime soon?" The Doctor asked, his wide brown eyes looking for answers that he already knew.

"No, at least not until we figure this thing out. We also need to get your chest X-Rayed, and I want to get a blood test from you and maybe even an MRI…"

"Is that really necessary?" The Doctor asked, and deep inside his chest he could feel his pulse rise from the anticipation.

"MRI might not be necessary, but I'll be honest. You're the most interesting case I've seen today and you're in no condition to get up and leave. So don't even think about limping out of this room… That's my job."

And with that, House exited the room to meet his ducklings, leaving a worried Time Lord sitting on his bed; thinking of ways and excuses he could use to get out of this.

"Looks like we have a case." House muttered while cracking a brief smile, but that faded and he continued to walk towards his destination.

(Wilson)

"Where in the name of Oncology is my phone. I know it had it with me when one of the patients was discharged…So it's either on the ground, or in that room. What was it? 130, 135? I can't remember." Wilson groaned, sitting back down in his chair and swivelling this way and that. Office chairs could be so much fun when nobody was around. Especially when you were the boss of your own office.

"I think today is possibly one of the slowest days I've ever experienced. I've consoled a few terminal patients, basically drilled their cancer results into their heads and helped out in the Clinic with consults but could the day actually get any duller?" He thought.

Running a hand through his well groomed brown hair, Wilson took a deep breath and walked towards the door. "May I can go 'help' House. Even taking crap from him can't be as bad as sitting in here for the rest of the day and waiting for a miracle to happen…"

He then got up from his chair and walked right out of his office, going out of his way to find House and the team.


	3. Differential Diagnosis

Chapter Three

I do not own House MD or The Doctor who series. Whoever made those things do, but I do own my imagination.

(House and three ducklings in meeting room)

"So! Either we have a binary-vascular system beating away in our patient's chest, or there's actually some rational medical cause which is giving the heart an irregular beat! Now… Any ideas?" House wasn't about to let this patient slip away. John Smith was certainly a unique man, and even House was beginning to consider the possibility of their patient actually having two hearts pumping away, yet he didn't want to admit it in front of the Ducklings.  
Time for a differential diagnosis.

"So you heard it as well? I knew I was –"Chase was cut off quickly by a determined House.

"Chase, shut up. I need suggestions! Hurry up people!" House limped back and forth, and he kept a permanent marker ready in his hand so that he could at last fill up the blank white board.

"So far, we have cardiac arrhythmia." Cameron stated.

"Good! See? Something that makes actual sense." House muttered, giving a brief stare at Chase.

"But… You heard it as –"

"Any more suggestions before we start doing tests?" House yelled, obviously trying to speak over Chase trying to put forward his argument.

"Could be something wrong in the brain that's causing the unusual heartbeat…" Foreman suggested, and House quickly scribbled _Neurological _on the white board.

"Perhaps a heart condition that we haven't looked into yet…" Chase said, while copping the 'You suck up to House' look from Foreman.

"Could be Atherosclerosis. It's a common arterial disease where patches of fatty or fibrous material build up in the inner walls of the arteries. This restricts blood flow and may be the reason for why we hear that 'double beat'. This might be causing his heart to try and work overtime to get the blood through."

House rolled his eyes. "I know what atherosclerosis is…" But he stopped to think for a moment, and he scribbled it down on the white board. "But it could be a possibility. Ok, keep them coming people!"

"And atherosclerosis can be caused by coronary heart disease and strokes…" Cameron continued, prompting House to quickly jot that down on the white board.

"Can also be caused by being overweight or having a stressed heart, but this guy doesn't fit into any of those causes. His heart beat is fine! There's just an extra one!" Chase argued.

"Chase! Shut-up! Anybody who's not high on vicodin apart from me, give me more suggestions as to what the hell this is! So far we have cardiac arrhythmia, atherosclerosis; which can be caused by coronary heart disease or a stroke, and possibly something to do with the brain. Anymore?

"Broken ribs may have damaged the heart or caused a blockage." Foreman said, giving a further 'eye-roll' to Chase.

"Alright, we've got enough causes for now. Chase, I want you to go get an X-Ray of 'Mr. Smith's' chest. And while you're at it, get a blood test for the hell of it. Cameron, I want you to get a background history of this guy and see if he has any history of genetic heart diseases or anything peculiar or out of the ordinary. Foreman, once the X-Ray is done I want you and Chase to get an MRI of his brain. Now move people!" House picked up his cane and motioned them to go away, although he quickly shifted his weight back on it as the pain on his leg was too much to bear.

The three ducklings stared at him for a moment longer, but they quickly flooded out the door and went off to do their jobs before House would decide to think of some sarcastic insult.

Outside of the meeting room, the three doctors quickly hurried to their destinations. "Looks like we have an X-Ray first." Chase sighed, walking alongside his two colleagues.

"I really think that this is a waste of time. House just wants a case that's mildly more interesting then herpes and you just want to believe something that's not there… "Foreman said, clearly not intrigued about this whole situation. He was too much of a sceptic and he rarely journeyed outside his firm opinions and scientific beliefs.

"Foreman, I know what I heard and I'm sure we have a case. When this turns out to be 'a little bit more interesting then herpes', you'll be the one trying to look for answers…" Chase said, his Australian accent only making it sound that extra bit arrogant.

"Would you guys just shut up and act professionally? We have a patient to diagnose and even if it's nothing serious we still have to do our job…" Cameron sighed, especially when it came to a scientific dogfight between her two colleagues.

"Fine, but we'll eventually see who has the last laugh." Foreman said, and that familiar sly look appeared on his face.

(The Doctor, Foreman, Chase and Cameron)

"I sure wish Rose were here right now. She'd know what to do…" The Doctor sighed. By now, he had changed out of his clothes and been given some un-fashionable striped hospital standard pyjamas. He was glad that they fit him, but he would have much rather preferred his usual attire. Especially his coat.

Oh how he loved his coat.

"Good evening Mr. Smith. And how are you feeling today?" Cameron asked, speaking in behalf of the other two doctors standing beside her.

The Doctor put on a brief smile and shrugged. "Oh you know, still a bit… Blegh."

Foreman stared at the heart monitor screen for a moment, but then returned his gaze to the patient. "Care to be any more specific?"

"Bad chest pains, same as before. Hasn't really changed one bit."

"Alright, well we're going to take you in for an X-ray. I apologize for the delay but we've been jam packed at the hospital… "Chase said and he set up a fold-up wheelchair that had been leaning against the wall of them room. Foreman and Cameron helped the Doctor down from his bed and carefully slipped him into the temporary means of transport.

"Alright! Allons-y!" The Doctor said accompanied by that typical grin, known to appear on his face now and then. There was no point fearing for his life at this point, and besides, this place was a lot more comfortable then the TARDIS.

"What'd he say?" Cameron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Something in French, but come on, we have an X-ray to do…" Foreman said, wheeling the Doctor out of the room and towards the X-Ray area.

"After the X-ray, I just have to get some background history and also, we're going to have to do a blood test and later on – Get an MRI… That ok?" Cameron asked, walking beside the battered and bruised doctor.

"Of course… Sounds fine to me. I don't see myself leaving this hospital anytime soon." The Doctor mumbled. Right now, he was starting to feel the regret of coming to this hospital, but leaving at the moment wasn't really an option. Luckily he was a fast healer, so all needed was some comfortable bed rest and soon, in a day or two he'd be fine. He just needed a way to explain that to the doctors that were treating him.

(Half an hour later)

The X-ray was certainly a new experience for the Doctor, but to him, this was old technology. To his fortune, the results of the X-ray wouldn't come through for another hour or so, and that would give him time to think of an excuse to explain the second heart situated in the right side of his chest. It was futile, but worth a shot.

Shortly after the x-ray had been completed, he had been wheeled back into his room and carefully helped back onto the bed.

Chase was off getting the X-ray images processed, Foreman had taken the Doctor's blood sample to the lab and Cameron had sat down beside the Doctor's bed with a clipboard and a pen, ready to go.

"So your name is John Smith?"

"Affirmative…" The Doctor said, trying not to make eye contact.

"And you're 30?"

"Yep!"

"Any genetic history of heart conditions or hereditary diseases? Strokes perhaps?"

"No… None that I can think of. My parents are both dead so you couldn't really ask them anyway."

"Dead? How did they die?"

"A fire, they both burnt to death." The Doctor lied.

"Any brothers or sisters?" Cameron continued to scribble down the information on her sheet of paper attached to the clipboard.

"No… Not anymore. They died in the fire." He said, that typical English accent trailing off while he thought of more excuses which would get him out of more questions.

"Alright… Have you been involved in any previous accidents?"

"Nope… Just this one."

"Have any friends or distant family we can contact in case of an emergency?" Cameron asked, looking up from her glasses.

"Nope… I travel alone." The Doctor said, his memory flashing bate to that moment when he saw Rose for the last time, being pulled into that bright light and disappearing into that other dimension, forever more. He snapped back into reality and put the thought Rose behind him.

"Travelling? Have you been overseas recently?"

"Not so much overseas. Just around the country. I realise that I'm English but I have been here for a while, so I'm not a recent traveller or anything." He sighed. "You know, parents are dead, no siblings left and all my friends aren't really around anymore so… That all the questions you need?"

"A few more. I'm sorry for this inconvenience, but we just need to find out what's causing your irregular heart beat." Cameron said. The Doctor could tell that just by looking her eyes – This doctor actually cared about the welfare of her patients, and that was a quality that most doctors lacked in this time period.

"Now, would I be able to have your current address? We just need to check your home for anything that may have caused this. Toxins, pesticides, food reflecting your diet, anything like that…"

The Doctor shifted slightly in his bed, and he took a deep breath.

"No can do… It's not really open to visitors…"

"I realise we may be invading your privacy but –"

"I'm afraid I can't let you go there. You have my information, blood tests and X-Rays. But you're not getting into my home."

Cameron blinked a few times, but nodded. "Ok, but if your condition continues to deteriorate then we'll need your address... But moving on, do you have a health care card? Any ID on you?"

"No, now I think you've got enough information on me so if you don't mind…" The Doctor sat up painfully and pointed to the door.

"Alright, but I may come back for more questions later. Thankyou for your cooperation." Cameron gripped the clipboard tightly and then retreated out of the room.

"He's definetly hiding something…"

The Doctor took a deep breath and sunk his head into his pillow. Luckily for him, a nurse had come by earlier on and adjusted the bed so he could lie on his back. His untidy brown hair had been messed up by the pillow, but right now he didn't care. He was a Time Lord, not a weak and vulnerable hospital patient.

All that happened was that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and look where it got him.

"Humans… Always wanting to know more then they really should… But I suppose they're a lot nicer then the Daleks, although a Dalek would just put me out of my misery." He was alone, Rose was gone and the only people he had to comfort him were doctors who also felt the need to study him.

"Where's Shakespeare with his words of wisdom when you need him…"

(House and Wilson)

"There you are!" A voice sounded from the doorway of Houses' office. "Have you been here all day? Or did you actually limp down to clinic duty for once? No wait, let me guess – Cuddy threatened you to do it otherwise she'd fire you." Wilson knew his crippled friend all-too well.

House, while in the process of balancing his novelty-sized tennis ball on the end of his cane, placed them both to the side and glanced at Wilson.

"Evil ice queen decided to make me do clinic duty today, but after diagnosing obesity and a few STI's, our boy from 'Down Under' may have actually found us a case…"

Wilson looked intrigued. "Really? What are the symptoms?"

"Broken Ribs… And."

"Broken ribs? That's a cause, not a symptom…" Wilson said, scoffing at the thought.

"I wasn't finished yet. Setting aside the fact that this patient does indeed have broken ribs he also has two heart beats…" House knew the absurdity of what he was saying, but he was still taking into account the other theories that his ducklings had suggested.

"Whoa. Two heart beats? Sure it just wasn't…"

"Cardiac arrhythmia? Atherosclerosis? Neurological? I made Foreman, Chase and Cameron go off and do some tests but I know what I heard. Chase, being the anti-sceptic that he is, wants to believe something's there but actually suggesting that anyone has two hearts is… Impossible."

Wilson nodded. "That's right. It 'is' impossible. At least the tests will give you and your team some closure. I think all this anticipation for a new case has gone to your head."

"Perhaps, but let's be honest. I'm bored. My team is bored. My game boy died and I need some entertainment. Besides, 'two hearts', is that more then one?" He said sarcastically.

"Just stop being a sarcastic ass, don't waste the mans time and discharge him when his ribs have been sorted out. What's his name anyway? Perhaps I can give him a consult or put forth a second opinion."

"John Smith and he's my patient. Not yours! Mine!"

"John Smith… Seems a bit generic, don't you think?" Wilson asked curiously.

"Obviously, which means he's hiding his real name or his parents really hated him." House said, again – sarcastically.

Wilson took a deep breath and walked towards the door. "Keep me updated on this case. If you happen to be right, which you won't, then I want in." And with that he quickly slipped out the doorway.

"Two hearts, I think the vicodin has finally fried his brain…" Wilson scoffed to himself as he made his way down to reception. "John Smith… Perhaps I can find what room you're in and have a look for myself."

Meanwhile, back in Houses' office, the man himself slowly closed his eyes while he rested in his cushioned and well furnished chair, but his relaxation was cut short by a shocked doctor that appeared at the mouth of the door.  
"House! You need to get to the meeting room now. The results of the blood work and tests came back, as well as the X-rays. You really need to see this."

"Where are Chase and Foreman? And did you get that MRI done yet?" House said, taken slightly off guard.

Cameron shook her head. "MRI was booked out when we tried to get in, but Chase and Foreman are waiting in the meeting room right now with the results of the tests. Come on!" She urged, practically sprinting out the doorway and running down the corridor and towards the meeting room.

"House is not going to believe this."

TBC


	4. Test Results

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Doctor who or anything House related. The owners of the show do. So just sit back and enjoy my fanfic.

Chapter Three:

House didn't quite know what to expect as he limped furiously down one of the many corridors in Princeton. His cane made a muffled '_thunk'_ every time it momentarily collided with the pristine clean floors, and his eyes were fixed to the location of his destination – The Meeting Room.

"House, Chase was right." Cameron said, pointing to a small pile of x-ray images that had been neatly stacked on the table.

"What." House stood still while being briefly captured in a state of disbelief.

"Chase. Was. Right. At first, even Foreman and I couldn't believe this although the proof _does _speak for itself. Have a look." Cameron gestured to the X-ray images and held one up against a clean white area of the whiteboard. "We don't really know what to make of it, but both I and Foreman really think that Chase actually was right."

House kept motionless, but he peered in closer and his blue-eyes were fixed to the image that been presented before him. The X-Ray image featured the patient 'John Smith's' chest, and the first thing he happened to notice was the multiple broken ribs. His eyes trailed further upwards and for a moment he was short of breath when he saw the faded shape of a heart, with an identical shape beside it.

"That. Is. _Impossible_." House had become accustomed to repeating that phrase, having said it twice beforehand when he first had a look at Mr. Smith.

"It's a tumour. It has to be." House said dryly.

Chase shot up out of his chair and held out his hand toward the x-ray. "House! It's not a tumour! It's a god-damned heart! The heart beat fits, the shape of that 'thing' next to the other heart and also… There's more."

"A whole lot more… "Foreman said, nodding slowly.

"More then this?" Even after seeing this, House still wasn't one hundred percent convinced although it was indeed very, very peculiar.

"Once we saw his X-Ray results, we didn't think it would get more unusual then that, until we saw his blood work." Chase said seriously.

"It's unlike anything we've seen before. I mean, he has his red blood cells, but his white blood cells and lymphocytes are just… Different." Cameron said, looking over a copy of the blood work analysis sheet.

"Different? How?" House asked, still leaning on his cane for support.

"Different as in nothing looks like it's supposed to look like. He's missing some key factors in his blood chemistry, and for what he does have doesn't look right and as for every other factor… We can't identify it."

"To be honest, we don't quite know what we're dealing with here. At least we know that his ribs are actually broken…" Chase managed to crack a brief smile but nobody around him seemed to find his subtle humour in this situation.

"Don't let him be discharged. At least, not yet… "House muttered. The expression on his face was very distinct, with that being of a face yearning to search for answers. Problem was, what grounds did they have to keep him here? Was there really a case to solve?

"Do we actually know if there _is _anything wrong with him? Or if he's actually sick at all?" Foreman asked.

"Foreman, you saw his blood work. Nobody we've ever seen before has blood like he does. Now, either he's extremely sick or this is a blood condition that we've never seen before. I agree with House, we shouldn't let him be discharged yet, at least not until we know what we're dealing with. Also, the guy has two hearts. I'm pretty sure nobody in this hospital could come up with any medical reason for that." Cameron said, staring sternly at Foreman.

"So what do we do? Go up to him and say 'Oh, by the way, you're actually healthy. You've just got broken ribs but, you have two hearts and interesting blood so we're going to keep you here because we're curious doctors who have nothing better to do then to study you'". Foreman said sarcastically.

"No, we're going to lie to him, as we do to all our patients. I want somebody other then Cameron to tell 'John Smith' that we found an infection or something serious. And another thing, I don't want any word of this to get out. And make sure you get me that MRI and get done any other non-suspicious test you can think of." House didn't quite know where to go with this, but he loved a good mystery and this certainly interested him.

"Actually, this might not seem that significant but there was one more thing that seemed to stand out of the ordinary." Cameron said, speaking up again.

"There was?" Foreman and Chase said simultaneously, looking at Cameron.

"When I was asking questions to find more about his background and family history… He seemed to get very 'on edge' when I tried to ask about his address, and he didn't seem that keen on providing it. He also didn't carry any ID on him at all… "Cameron sighed.

"Somehow I get the feeling that our 'John Smith' isn't 'John Smith'." House said, his eyes fixed back to the x-ray image. "But we can rule out anything on the white board such as the cardiac arrhythmia." He paused for a moment, but another thought came to mind which needed to be put forward. "Don't let Cuddy in on this. Maybe Wilson, but knowing Cuddy she'd just get the CDC involved… "Houses' tone had dropped to that of a concern. In his opinion, the CDC really 'cramped his style', but he had a hate list for all sorts of organisations and people. Now things weren't just becoming a game, they were becoming serious. "I'm heading back to my office; make sure you keep me updated." As House turned around to walk away, Chase spoke up.

"What exactly do _you_ think we're dealing with?"

"Don't know. Don't forget to check his BP and temperature." House quickly grabbed the X-rays and a copy of the blood work from the table, and he limped out of the Meeting Room, leaving a speechless group of doctors sitting at the main table and staring at the doorway.

Houses' mind was in a state of chaos – or so to speak. None of this made any sense, and when a genius couldn't associate something with reality then nothing really added it.  
"Two hearts… At least I know it's not the vicodin messing with my head…"

(Wilson and the Doctor)

"Thanks to that willing receptionist, I can finally take a look at this 'John Smith' for myself. Now… It's 140A. This shouldn't take too long. Might actually give me a chance to see if this man actually has 'two hearts'." He chuckled to himself, and he walked calmly into the room.

The Doctor immediately heard the sound of Wilson's footsteps and sat up in his bed so fast that the pain from his ribs shot through his chest. "ARGH!" He yelled, lying back down on his back.

"I wouldn't recommend sitting up. You don't exactly look in great shape. "Dr. Wilson said.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious. Doctor…?"

"Doctor Wilson."

"Well, _Doctor Wilson_. Let me give you a 'brief' update on my day…." The Doctor growled; his usual calm and charming nature replaced by the frustration of being stuck in this hospital for much longer then he expected, while being subjected to an unnecessary blood test. "I came in here expecting to be diagnosed, treated and then in a day or so discharged so that I can just be on my way. But strangely enough, I can't help but get the feeling that I'm not going to be discharged anytime soon. Might be for the fact that I'm being interrogated like a prisoner."

Wilson blinked a few times. "I assure you, all of this is a necessary part of hospital procedure…"

"That may be so, but the X-rays would have been back by now with a doctor to tell me that my ribs are indeed broken. And they're _not_, which clearly tells me that they found something from the x-rays and also from that blood test…" Right now, the Doctor was currently in a bit of a rant.

He was deeply regretting the decision to even come to this hospital, but then again – he also needed bed rest, and this was the only place he was going to get it. Sure the TARDIS had beds, but he couldn't stand being restricted to the TARDIS for too long. He did need a bit of fresh air now and then.

Wilson looked strangely at the Doctor. It almost seemed as though this 'John Smith' knew that the doctors were going to find something unusual, but he clearly didn't seem happy about it. "Hold on a second. So you actually have an idea as to what they may have found? Is it cancer?"

The Doctor sighed, and completely ignored Dr. Wilson's question. The Doctor was much rather talking and answering himself; it was simply all part of his rant. "The blood work would have revealed the unusual components, as for the X-ray… Two hearts. They must be able to tell even with that ancient technology."

Wilson listened in carefully; a look of disbelief appeared on his face. "What did you say? Two hearts?"

The Doctor continued to ignore him while he was currently on one of his infamous rants. "This means that they'll discover my Time Lord DNA, which means…Time to leave! Allon-y!" He said, sitting up quickly and painfully pushing himself around so that his legs were hanging off the edge of the bed.

Dr. Wilson wasn't exactly sure what he had just heard, but he was pretty sure that the patient wasn't allowed to be discharged quite just yet. "Absolutely not! You're in no condition to leave this hospital!" Wilson argued, and he walked over to the door to block the exit.

"Listen, I made a mistake. I shouldn't have come here! But I need to be discharged!" The Doctor yelled. Normally, he could wind himself out of any situation, but with his companion gone; his body broken; his clothes wrapped up (along with his sonic screwdriver and psychic paper) and taken downstairs, he was vulnerable, and no better then the car crash victim in the room to the right, or the dying cancer patient in the room to the left.

Wilson simply shook his head. "I can't allow it, and to be honest I'm not under the authority to do so anyway. You're not my patient. In a sense, you 'belong' to House and his team, but only in that manner of speaking. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." Wilson stood beside the door, and he didn't seem to be keen on moving.

The Doctor didn't like the sound of this one bit. "You can't keep somebody here against their will! That's madness! No wonder the Human race was in peril at this time! Insanity began in the hospitals and worked its way out into the public! That's why so many of you are corrupt!" He yelled.

"Strange, he talks about us as if he's not even human." Wilson thought, but he brushed the thought aside and tried his best to make an effort of calming a patient down that wasn't even his.

"Mr. Smith, please. Just calm down! We don't want to keep you here against your will! But as I said before, you're in no condition to leave this hospital!"

"I don't care! I'll manage! Just let me go!" The Doctor yelled, trying to stand up but the pain from his ribs caused him to double over and fall flat on his side. "ARGH!" He yelled, clutching his chest with one hand and trying to push up with the other, but this combination seemed futile.

Wilson didn't even have time to run towards the patient, seeing that shortly after the Doctor's fall onto the ground, Chase, Foreman and Cameron came sprinting down the corridor and they barged into Room 140A.

"What happened?!" Chase asked, running over to help the Doctor.

"I just came in to see the patient, but he started to get annoyed when I tried to explain to him that he wasn't allowed to be discharged, so he got up and tried to walk away but the pain seemed too much for him to cope with." Wilson said, watching Cameron and Chase help him back onto the bed and lay him flat on his back.

"You know you shouldn't be trying to walk. The results of the X-ray revealed that most of your upper ribs were broken, but-"

Foreman cut Cameron off and stepped in. "But, we think we may have found evidence of an infection, so we'll need to do some more tests…" He lied, doing exactly what House wanted him to do. Keep this patient here as long as possible.

"Infection?!" The Doctor said, clearly not buying any of this. "Infection?! I'm pretty sure that I don't have an infection. There's no way I can even possibly _get _an infection. I mean, I've been sick, but you'd have to have a virus created for germ warfare by the Daleks to get me sick." He laughed. He knew they were lying, and he knew they were catching on to his secrets, but it was perfectly alright to have a bit of a laugh about absurd things they were suggesting to him.

Cameron, Foreman, Chase AND Wilson stared at each other for a moment, and Wilson spoke up. "What do you mean; you can't 'possibly' get an infection?" 

Cameron gave Wilson the 'Where are you going with this', look. But Foreman and Chase seemed to be just as intrigued as Wilson.

"I mean… Oh never mind. Point is, you're lying to me. And I want to know why. I know you're keeping me here much longer then you should be, and that means you found something. Something that you can't explain but you don't want anyone else to find out about it." The Doctor said, finally 'back on the ball' again and using his brilliant mind to his advantage. "So, being the patient _myself_, I'd really like to be updated on what you're hiding from me."

The four doctors stared at each other, but Cameron spoke up. "What makes you think we're lying to you?

"I don't need to think. I know. It's blatantly obvious; otherwise you wouldn't be so secretive about everything. I may be a patient, but I'm not an idiot." The Doctor said, glaring at all four of them.

The Four doctors were all speechless. It was as if he could read them all like a book. He knew that they were lying, and he knew that they were hiding the results… But how? First the impossible medical tests, and now his keen ingenuity and cunning nature that had all of them positively astounded.

Foreman opened up his mouth in attempts to blurt out an excuse, but he didn't get the chance.

"Everyone, get out of the room." The familiar voice caused the doctors to spin around and glance at Doctor Gregory House who stood in the doorway, well… More like leaning in his cane.

"I think I'm going to have another word with John Smith. If that is his real name…."


	5. Confessions of a Time Lord

Disclaimer: I do NOT own House or Dr. Who. The people who made those shows do, but please enjoy my fan fiction.

Chapter Five

By now, all four doctors (that being Chase, Cameron, Foreman and Wilson) had departed from the room, leaving a concerned House standing in front of the closed door behind him. His piercing and incredible blue eyes were fixed to the patient restricted to only his bed, and he limped towards him until he was standing beside the bed; looking down sharply into the Doctor's brown eyes.

"Tell me your name." House said firmly, not blinking an eyelid.

"John Smith. I thought we already went through all of this?" The Doctor asked, going about this as casually as possible… But his rising pulse didn't exactly help out with his situation.

"No, I mean tell me your 'real' name." House leant on his cane, not taking this garbage for a second.

The Doctor peered around the room for a moment, but returned his gaze to Doctor House. "I told you before. It's John Smith. Now are we just going to sit here with me repeating answers and wasting time?"

"Oh don't give me that crap! No ID, no means of identification and the only name you can come up with is 'John Smith'? Now, if you had come up with a name that was deemed to be slightly more unusual such as 'Chase' or 'Wilson', then maybe I wouldn't be here demanding you tell me your real name, but come on! John Smith?" House said in disbelief.

"I told you. I'm John Smith. Doesn't get more exciting then that, but that's what my name happens to be." Sighed the Doctor, turning his head so that his eyes were glued to the ceiling, rather then Houses' deathly glare.

"Alright then, 'John Smith'. Let me be the first to say that your blood work was indeed… Interesting. It really did get my team excited on just how and why your blood was missing some vital components, and how it had some factors we couldn't even begin to identify…" House said, a brief smirk appearing on his face, and he could clearly tell that the Doctor was being put in a very awkward position.

The Doctor could feel his heart rate rising, and he gulped in anticipation for what House was going to say next. This man seemed to have caught on to him just like that, and he certainly wasn't just someone that the Doctor could trick with excuses. For a 900 year old time lord, he was stuck, vulnerable and had lost all hope.

"So, while they were off doing their own thing and when I had a bit of free time, so I thought I'd go a bit deeper into the blood work and have a look for myself. Well!" He scoffed. "52 chromosomes? That's like, more then 46 right?" House said mockingly. "The rest of the team don't know, but for now. I took the liberty of keeping it that way. If we hadn't found that double beat, this case wouldn't have interested me in the least…"

"I suppose you found the other one on the x-ray then…" The Doctor muttered, avoiding eye contact.

"You mean that large tumour beside your heart? Is it a heart? I had no idea!" House whined. Sarcasm was practically pouring out of his words in that sentence.

"So again, I ask you. What is your real name? And don't give me that whole 'John Smith' crap."

This was it for the Doctor. He had run out of excuses, he couldn't run away and even with House being on a cane he could still most likely catch up to the Doctor from having the broken ribs. "Fine. So my name isn't John Smith, does it really matter?"

"Of course it matters, because if you're hiding your name, then you're hiding something that 'really matters'. And trust me, if you're that screwed up on the inside then you've got plenty to hide." Stated House and his eyes were not leaving his patient for a moment.

"So, I'll ask again. Your name is…?"

"The Doctor."

House raised an eyebrow. "No, _I'm_ the doctor. Not you, me. So what's your name?"

"That's my name. I'm the Doctor! Well, my real name is completely unpronounceable in your language but everybody I've ever known has called me 'The Doctor'." He said frustratingly, trying to get his message across. The cat was out of the bag and if he was going to spill his secrets to somebody, it was better doing it to just one person then spreading it across to the three other doctors that had been examining him, including that other doctor that had refused to let him leave.

House continued to stare.

"_Is this man crazy or is he just beginning to suffer from some neurological breakdown?"_ He thought.

"Why do people call you 'The Doctor'?" He asked bluntly.

"Because I fix things. Not people, but things. It's what I do, actually, it's all I really like doing. It's all I really know how to do." The Doctor said, trying to think back to all the times he had actually helped somebody, but then again, trouble also followed in his wake.

"So, you don't have a real name?"

"I do, but I told you. It's unpronounceable." He said strongly.

"Well, you're certainly suffering from some sort of psychosis. You can't even remember your own name." House muttered, although he was being sarcastic as usual. "But, I do know that you're hiding something, so rather then have me poke and prod around for unnecessary hours of my time AND yours, I suggest you tell me exactly what you're hiding."

Now was the time for the Doctor to come clean. "Alright, here it goes." He said, taking a deep breath and sitting up slowly on his bed so his eye contact could be at a more even level with House, even if he still had to look up. "I'm not human! I'm actually a 900 year old alien who travels around in the TARDIS while sorting out various alien problems and time infractions on Earth and various other planets!" He said, a roguish smile appearing on his face for a moment. "And just so you know, TARDIS stands for 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space'."

House didn't quite know what to say at first, but it was shortly followed by a burst of laughter. "Alien? TARDIS? Time infractions? If you are going to lie again, at least make it somewhat believable!" House limped back and forth, but stopped and glared at the Doctor. "One would think that a lying patient would learn from his mistakes..."

This caused the Doctor to smirk for a moment, which then released his built up frustration towards human ignorance.

"You humans are ridiculous! First I come in here, and then you poke and prod me and want to find out what causes my 'double pulse'. _Then _when you actually see proof of my two hearts _you_ come in here and expect me to tell the truth, so when I do decide to tell the truth _you_ don't believe me!" The Doctor yelled, his frustration was clearly rising.

House blinked a few times, and just stood there, and as he opened his mouth to say something in retaliation, but the Doctor quickly interrupted him before he had the chance.

"What is it with you humans anyway? What more proof do you need? I just want to get back to the TARDIS, and go to some other time! I mean, people in the 18th century are more friendly then you. All they'll do is throw a few leeches on you and let you be on your way! But no…Not you '21st century' humans, because anything unusual is worth shoving a needle into!" He yelled.

"All I did was step out of the TARDIS, and one of those bike riders decided to collide with me. First I lose Rose, and then I end up here!"

House wasn't quite sure what to say. Clearly he wasn't just about to believe in aliens, but the hearts; the blood and his DNA all pointed towards his patients rant.

"Alright then, so if you are indeed an alien, then what 'race' are you?"

Indeed, it felt awkward to ask a question such as that, but when a doctor such as House had all this proof stacked against _him_, then what other choice did he have?

"I'm a Time Lord."

"And what planet are you from?"

"Gallifrey. A long way away from here." The Doctor sighed, where as in fact it had actually been destroyed along with every other Time Lord and Lady in the 'Great Time War.'

House narrowed his eyes down for a moment, but something inside him urged him to keep listening.

"_Am I really buying any of this? Oh well, I'd better keep listening."_ He thought.

"So let's say for a moment that you're telling the truth. If you have a home, why don't you go back there?"

"I can't. It's destroyed, along with everyone else that ever lived there apart from me. And before you ask, it was in the 'Great Time War'. Don't even bother asking about that because it's a long story and I don't plan on reliving those memories anytime soon." The Doctor said, his eyes meeting with the ground rather then connecting with House.

"So you're the last of your kind?"

"Exactly. But now and then I'll have a companion to travel with so it's not like I'm always lonely." He said, trying to force a grin to his face but that wasn't really working.

"So just recapping on all that you've told me… You're an alien, that's 900 years old and you mentioned something about time?" House asked.

"The TARDIS? Travels through time and space." The Doctor said proudly.

"So, you travel through time…" House said slowly.

"And space. Exactly! Now, is that all the 'questions' you need?"

"To be honest, I don't know wether or not to believe you, or to send you up to the psychiatric ward and dose you up on some mind numbing drugs." Muttered House, looking out at the soundproof windows where the four doctors watched intensively and waited House to come outside with some answers.

"Listen, you don't have to believe me. But once you've seen the TARDIS, you'd have no choice but to believe me. It's kind of hard to stay in disbelief once you've seen the TARDIS. If you'd ever be so kind to keep your mouth shut about this then I might even take you for a ride." The Doctor said, looking at House who was still in a state of obvious disbelief.

"If you are telling the truth, then only my team and Wilson are in on this. Cuddy definitely won't be, but my team already knows the half of what's going on. And from the looks of it, they know that I know something they don't…"

"When I'm all healed up tomorrow or the day after, I'll take you down to have a look. And fine, tell your team and Wilson but make sure it doesn't escalate to anything beyond that. I tend to keep my secret a secret for a reason."

"Healed up…Tomorrow?" House asked, blinking a few times.

"What's wrong with that? A bit of fast healing never hurt anyone and its all part of my natural physiology so I can't really slow it down." The Doctor laughed. Normally it would feel fine to have a good chuckle, but with the semi-broken ribs perhaps laughing wasn't the smartest idea.

"I think I have all the answers I need. Don't leave the hospital; because if I send Cuddy after you then you'll regret it for the rest of your life, however long that may be…" House said, walking towards the door and opening it up.

"Remember, don't tell anybody else apart from your team." The Doctor said, making sure House wouldn't forget.

"Do I look like the type of person who would forget? Oh, Chase? What day of the week is it?!" He yelled sarcastically, and closed the door behind him.

Wilson, Chase, Cameron and Foreman all spun around to look at House, while leaving Chase with an eyebrow raised in confusion. "It's Saturday…Why?"

"Chase, I don't care what day of the week it is. Everyone to the meeting room, even you Wilson. Now move!" House yelled, limping furiously down towards the two closed doors, and he shoved them open and entered Meeting Room.

The other doctors followed him in closely behind, and shut the soundproof glass doors behind them.

"I'm guessing you found out a whole lot more then just his name…" Foreman said, eyeing House carefully.

"And what would make you say that?" House replied.

"Well from your speechless moments and looks of disbelief, I'm guessing you found out a whole lot more then you expected to find." Chase said, finishing with a laugh.

"So, care to fill us in on 'John Smith'?" Wilson cut in.

"First off, he's not John Smith. Didn't take a genius to think of that one. And to put this bluntly, this guy either has severe delusions or he's an alien."

All four of their jaws went slack, either from the shock of what House was saying or from the shock of that actually coming out of a mouth belonging to House.

"Alien? You're actually suggesting 'aliens'?" Chase said. Normally he was the one to get dragged along in those types of conspiracies, but even now it seemed absurd for House to even suggest that type of thing.

"No, he's actually a Mexican that shouldn't be working here without a VISA. Of course I meant aliens! While you guys were off running some tests and doing what you do… I had another look at his blood and went in deeper then I usually would. His DNA isn't even human, and before Cameron says 'It's got to be an infection that's affecting his blood', he has 52 chromosomes…"

"WHAT?!" All four spat out.

"That's not possible! It has to a genetic disease. Perhaps extra copies of some chromosomes perhaps?" Cameron really felt the need to find an explanation for this. What she was hearing just couldn't be possible in her opinion.

"And you don't think I checked into that? The extra chromosomes can't be identified. They're not human. He's not human. I didn't want to admit this at first, and coming from me it sounds like the vicodin actually has messed with my brain, but it hasn't!" House yelled, his voice rising from the annoyance of his colleagues.

"Oh my god. We have an alien in the hospital. I think I need to sit down…" Cameron said, slumping back into her chair.

"We have to tell somebody about this! If he is for real, then we can't just keep this a secret…" Chase said, noticeably worked up about this.

"No, this doesn't get out to anybody, you hear me? Not Cuddy, not the rest of the staff and 'certainly' not the CDC. I don't want them on our asses about this…" House said critically.

"Did you find out anything else? What's his name?" Foreman asked.

"He said he was only known as 'The Doctor'…"


	6. Chit chats and Bad Reactions

Disclaimer: I do NOT own House or Dr. Who. The people who made those shows do, but please enjoy my fan fiction.

Chapter Six

(House, Cameron, Chase Foreman and Wilson)

All four doctors remained silent. What they were hearing couldn't possibly be true, but the man himself was actually suggesting that this being was an _alien_. An actual

"Wilson, the man has two hearts, his blood isn't human and not even his DNA is right. I think we can set aside the fact that he calls himself the Doctor." Chase said, rolling his eyes, but his attention was set back to House, who seemed to be having a difficult time coping with both the pain in his leg, and the complexity of the situation.

"Are you ok? Is your leg hurting again?" Cameron asked, but House simply shook his head and applied more weight to his good leg and cane.

"I'm fine, and I've got my happy pills here. Besides people, we have an alien in the hospital! I think that merits more attention then my bummed leg…" House replied, reaching down and pulling a large yellow envelope out of the drawer. "I was going to keep these stashed in my office, but you never knew when you need some extra proof to scare the pants off Wilson." With a quick raise of his eyebrows and a short and sharp smirk, he pulled out a copy of the X-Ray image and held it up to the clean whiteboard.

Although the three ducklings had seen the X-ray on a previous occasion, seeing an image of a man's chest with two hearts was still something they were not accustomed to. All three of them were in a temporary state of surprise, but none could compare to Wilson's reaction. His eyes were wide, his breathing had become slightly heavier and he held out a somewhat trembling finger to the image presented before him.

"Now, I'm no expert, but that man has two hearts…" He said dryly.

"I thought I mentioned it to you before, but obviously you chucked that thought out the window…" House mumbled, moving over to his chair and sitting down.

"It's definitely not cancer, but it can't be… But it's right there!" Wilson said, pointing frantically towards the X-ray.

"Now that Wilson's had his moment of hysteria and panic, can we get back to the present matter at hand?" House stated, and he watched Wilson sigh in defeat and find a chair at the table. "Our job is to solve cases that nobody else can solve, and take on matters that other doctors have given up on. But… The question is, do we keep hold of this patient as long as we can… Or discharge him in a few days…"

Foreman looked at him strangely. "A few days? You saw the man's ribs. It's going to take at least two weeks for that to safely heal, and _at least _three weeks to four weeks for all the damage to heal completely."

"Well, if he is as alien as he says he is, then he said he'll be ready to go by tomorrow or the day after at the latest." House assured, though he was still in a state of figuring this whole ordeal out.

"I think he's telling the truth." Wilson said quietly, just staring at the yellow envelope lying on the table.

"All you saw was the X-Ray. What's making you jump to that conclusion?" Cameron asked, glancing oddly at Wilson.

"When I went to see him while you guys were off running the results of the tests, I went in there to find out what House's 'new case' was about. When I began to talk to him, he started to get erratic when he suspected that you guys had caught on to one of his secrets…" Wilson said, recapping on the past.

"Why? What'd he say?" Chase inquired.

"Well from memory, he mentioned something about unusual components in his blood, along with the X-ray being 'ancient technology' and picking up his two hearts, and also something about his 'Time Lord' DNA… I didn't think much of it at the time but there was something he said that was very peculiar..."  
Wilson thought back to the moment when the Doctor had acted quite irregular.

"_You can't keep somebody here against their will! That's madness! No wonder the Human race was in peril at this time! Insanity began in the hospitals and worked its way out into the public! That's why so many of you are corrupt!" The Doctor yelled._

"It wasn't really what he had said, but how he said it. When he referred to humans, it was almost as if he wasn't human himself… He said '_No wonder the human race was in peril at this time_'…"

House, Chase, Cameron and Foreman all stared at each other, but it was House that decided to speak up first.

"I was going to mention this before, but I thought I'd let somebody else embarrass themselves with a statement like that before I would, and luckily it was Wilson." House said, and his succinct comical face was shortly replaced by a solemn expression. "What I failed to mention was that this 'patient' of ours said that he was a 900 year old Time Lord who was able to travel through space and time using his 'Tardis' or something."

Right now, the most priceless expression out of all of them belonged to Chase. It was caught between an 'oh my god', and a 'that's absolutely incredible' expression. "Normally, I'd be inclined to disagree and laugh, but… After all the evidence I've seen today, I'm just going to nod and agree with you."

"I agree with him." Cameron said, but Foreman held out his hand.

"Wait, just hold up. Aliens, I can _maybe_ accept, but time travel? We are doctors, not mentalists who are locked in their basements and spend their lives dwelling on conspiracies. None of this makes sense!"

"Actually, about being locked in their basement…" House said, holding up his hand, but his sarcasm was met with a deathly glare from the other doctors.

"No time for sarcasm. This isn't a game." Cameron said.

"Who's being sarcastic? My basement is usually where I keep myself locked while I chat with my fellow conspiracy followers through chat rooms…" He couldn't resist a good cynical joke now and then.

"You don't have a basement. Now, can we get back onto what matters?" Wilson sighed in irritation.

"Well if I did, that's the first thing I would do. But you're right. Less talk about my private personal and interesting life, and more talk about ET lying in a hospital bed." House always needed to let loose a good wisecrack, especially when it came to things that nobody could explain.

"But back on track. How do we keep this under wraps? If Cuddy knew that you were keeping something this big from her, she'd-"Foreman was crudely interrupted by House.

"Yeah I know. CDC would be on our asses, I mentioned that before didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. But we have another problem; did any of us actually inform any of the nurses to just leave him alone completely?" Cameron said, prompting all the doctors to look at each other in question.

(The Doctor and…The Nurse)

All was going well for the Doctor; internally his healing process was accelerating at a natural pace. The bones were mending themselves and he knew that within a day or two he'd be fit as a fiddle and able to walk out of this hospital in one piece, and back into the safety of the TARDIS. Even the bruises were beginning to fade, but he wasn't out of the woods just yet. His accelerated healing came at a cost, and that cost was his energy, the same kind of energy that he used everyday to get about and right now in the peak of his healing his body was severely exhausted and sluggish.

"So…Tired…" He yawned, trying to lie on his side but his healing ribs incited him to lie flat on his back. "Rose Tyler… Such beautiful blonde hair…" He mumbled to himself while drifting off into a deep sleep. He could never see Rose again in body, but in his dreams she was always there to comfort him, even if it was just a figment of his imagination he could always dream.

The Doctor buried his head in his pillow, and instinctively pulled his sheet up over his abdominal area for warmth, but in such a deep sleep, he wasn't really aware as to what was happening around him. Healing was such a draining process…

Unbeknownst to his knowledge, a nurse in her mid thirties appeared at the door. She appeared to be the type you'd see floating around on Grey's Anatomy. Blonde, blue eyed, with a slim physique and a decent chest on her. And she appeared to be blonde enough to push aside the fact that the heart monitor was giving a double 'blip' everytime his pulse was recored.

"So…Mr Smith, everyone else is getting their dose of pain meds, so I'd better up yours. No doubt with all that chest damage, you're already on a fair share of pain killers…" She whispered, pulling out one of the drawers where they kept most of the anti-paid medication. The Nurse, known as 'Nurse Castor', reached in for the aspirin bottle and tipped out two aspirin capsules, which she then placed in a small plastic cup on the bench beside her.

"This should make you feel a whole lot better… I haven't gotten any instructions from the Doctors treating you but from the looks of the damage to your chest, you'd already be on it, and I haven't gotten any word from any allergies so they would have mentioned something by now…" She said, however talking to a drowsy patient was like talking to a brick wall.

The Nurse carefully closed the drawer with her dainty little hands, and then quickly filled up the small plastic cup halfway up with water. "Now drink up, I have to get around to the other patients…" Nurse Castor said warmly, and with the Doctor in a lethargic state, she was able to tilt his head up, and poured the contents of the plastic container into his mouth. "Now swallow…" She said, and without thinking, the tired Doctor swallowed the aspirin capsules and his head sunk back into his pillow.

"Now, get well soon, and I hope that helps." With that, Nurse Castor walked out and proceeded down the corridor to continue doing her job.

Now, any normal human patient in the hospital would have reacted positively to the pain meds, but the Doctor wasn't normal and he certainly wasn't human. There was this odd thing about Time Lord Physiology; they could endure the harshest of conditions and diseases on various planets, but when it came to the most simple of other species' medications, they never reacted well. Human medication was like poison to a Time Lord, but how was a nurse to know that? In fact, not even the Doctor himself was aware of every medication he could possibly have an allergy to.  
And giving the wrong species the wrong medication was _without doubt_ the most dangerous act one could perform.

The Doctor quickly snapped out of his sleeping state, only to find that his heart rate was definitely on the rise. Not only that, but he was actually working up a sweat and his head felt as though it was about to explode.  
_"Rising heart rate; headache; sweat? What…What is happening?!"_

In desperation, he tried to reach out or sit up, or just move but it felt as though his body was in a state of agony and suffering. He couldn't even shout out for help, but in a moment he wouldn't need to. His heart rate was reaching a critical condition and an intensively dangerous level.  
_"What's happening to me?!" _

"_HELP!"_

(House, Cameron, Chase, Foreman and Wilson)

"Well now that we've gone over every impossibility that this man has proved possible, how about one of you go check on-"House was shortly interrupted by the shrill cry of a beeper that came wailing from Cameron's pocket.

This was quickly followed by another beeper hiding in Chase's lab coat, and then another one from Foreman's. "Room 140A. Oh my God, that's John Smith. I mean, the Doctor. Whatever, we need to get there now!" Cameron said, running out the door, followed by Duckling number 2, and Duckling number 3.

Wilson made it to the door, but he stopped at the doorway and looked sympathetically at House. "Come on, he's your patient." And with that, he disappeared from Houses' view.

"Alien or not, why do I even bother…" He thought, but before long he had limped his way out of the door and pursued towards his destination of Room 140A.

TBC


	7. BaddaBoomba!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own anything to do with Dr. Who or House, the producers/writers/directors of those shows do. But hey, I do own my imagination right?

Chapter Seven

"Oh my god, he's going into cardiac and respiratory arrest!" Cameron gasped as she ran beside the patient's bed. "Does anyone know what happened?!"

By now, Nurse Castor had made her way back into room 140A, and she didn't exactly look pleased with herself. "All I did was give him his pain meds, that's all I did!" She argued, holding out her hands defensively. "It wasn't my fault! Nobody told me he had allergies to aspirin!"

"I beg to differ. This was _exactly _your fault. Not only did you give medication to a patient that you had no medical history on, but this patient is out of bounds! Now get out of here! _You're fired!_" House yelled, and he unsympathetically pointed to the door.

The Nurse hesitated for a moment, but she shook her head. "Listen, it was a mistake! It wasn't my fault, nobody told me anything and-"

"That's exactly my point. Nobody told you anything because you're obviously incapable of doing your job, so do me, my team and this hospital a favour and get out. _Now!_" There was always a fine line between Houses' sarcasm and fury, and this was certainly heading towards the latter.

In response, the Nurse wiped the tears from her eyes and left the room, leaving House, the ducklings, Wilson and the dying patient in the room.

The ducklings stared at House, but he shook his head. "Forget about her. Why can't Cuddy hire a nurse with a good ass and a good brain…? Now, we need to save this patient. Come on people!"

Chase immediately shot up to the mark and ran over to one of the shelves. "If this is anaphylaxis, then we need to put him on antihistamines to counteract it. His heart rate is skyrocketing!" Reaching in for the medication, he felt a cane stop his hand.

"If aspirin did this to him, then for all we know, antihistamines could very well cause the problem to escalate! No medication, we just have to keep him alive!" House yelled.

Foreman ran over beside the Doctor's bed, and looked back up at the heart monitor, which had gone well over safety limits and into a critical stage, and to make matters worse, his airways were closing up. "Respiratory distress… Cardiac arrest, if we can't give this guy medication like epinephrine then what are we supposed to do? He's dying on the table and we're just letting him die?"

"No, shove a BVM down his throat to get those airways open, and as for his heart…We wait until he flat lines and bring him back." House said, looking down at his patient.

"We wait until he dies? That's insane! We need to do something, _now!_" Chase yelled.

"Do you want to know what's insane? A patient with two hearts and alien DNA! But hey, I suppose you just want to dose him up with as many kinds of meds as possible in hopes that one will work!" Argued House, and he watched Cameron grab a BVM and begin to shove the long transparent tube down the Doctor's airway. "It's stuck… Wait…" She gently moved it around, and fortunately she managed to slide it down into his lungs. "Airways are open, but the heart…"

His heart rate was reaching incredibly dangerous levels, sounding off with a shrill 'beep' that began to increase further in speed and occurrence, and then, the slightly unexpected happened. The heart rate suddenly dropped back to a steady pace, but at a catch. What was once a double peak on the green line had been reduced a slow and steady pace of one beat every few seconds.

"That was odd. How'd his heart rate just drop back like that?" Wilson asked. This whole time, he had kept out of the way and watched curiously from the corner. It was evident to him that House and his team had the patient's health under control, but he was always there to lend an extra pair of hands if needed.

"It didn't just drop back…" House said slowly, and before he had the chance to grab a stethoscope from the side table, he spun around to look at the Doctor, who had painfully awoken from his temporary lapse of unconsciousness during his allergic reaction. His coughing was enough to get Cameron to remove the transparent breathing tube from his throat, but his chest still hurt like hell.

"What…Happened?!" The Doctor said hoarsely, fortunately breathing on his own without help from the BVM.

"You had an allergic reaction to a pain killer called 'aspirin' that one of the nurses decided to give you. We were able to keep your airways open, but it seemed as though your hearts fixed themselves…" Chase said, gesturing to the stable 'one beat' on the heart monitor.

"They didn't really fix themselves… One just became a fail-safe." The Doctor groaned, sitting up in his bed, and he clutched his upper chest. "ARGH!" He yelled. "Just as I thought, only one heart is beating! How do you people cope?!" On the plus side, his ribs had mostly healed during his intense stage of regeneration, but he still needed at least a day or two to recover completely.

"Only one heart? Shouldn't you be dead?!" Foreman asked in a shocked approach.

"Not dead, but if I don't get the other one started then it's not going to go well. I need to get the other one beating again… Somebody hit me on the chest!" The Doctor was undoubtedly serious about this; with him even getting up off his bed and painfully leaning against the bed for support. His teeth could be seen biting his bottom lip, as one heart for a Time Lord was painful, as well as the process that involved getting the other one started.

House, Cameron, Chase, Foreman and Wilson all stared at each other with an odd expression fixed to their faces.  
"We can't just _hit _you. You do realise that most of the damage that got you admitted to this hospital was because of your ribs right?" Cameron said, clearly concerned.

"Most of it's healed. That's why I didn't notice when the nurse gave me the aspirin, because I was in a state of regeneration, and regeneration involves sleep. Now for the TARDIS' sake, just hit me!" He yelled through clenched teeth. "My 'heart' can't keep this up for long, so quit arguing and get the bloody-hell on with it!"

House was the first to react. Without hesitation, he swung out and his fist collided with the Doctor's right side of his chest.

"Ahhh…Wrong side!" He gasped, wincing in pain but using one hand to firmly hold onto the bed for support.

House nodded, and swung around for another blow, aiming towards the left side of his chest. "Either you have a weird fetish for pain, or this is real. Normally I'd be enjoying myself, but for some odd reason I'm not. I mean, when I actually get the chance to hit a patient, it's for a valid reason…" House muttered to himself, getting the 'eye roll' from Wilson.

"Alright, now hit me on the back!" The Doctor yelled, clenching his hands into fists and bracing himself against Houses' strong impact with his back.

"A bit more to the left!"

With one more blow to the back, the Doctor sprung up which caused the other doctor's to jump back from being startled. "Perfect! Now that's what I'm talking about! Lovely! Bada-boomba!" A satisfied grin appeared on the Time Lord's face, and he pointed to the heart monitor to see a steady and even pace of two peaks that spiked up every time his two hearts pounded within his chest.

"Two hearts, two beats, perfect! Absolutely perfect! Airways open, pulse… Steady, and, what am I wearing?!" He glanced down at his hospital-grade pyjamas and sighed. "Where's my suit? And my sonic screwdriver! I love my sonic screwdriver!"

"I'm sorry, what's a sonic screwdriver?" Wilson asked.

"Some 'technology' bits that you don't need to worry about. But on the bright side, ribs are looking good, but won't be one hundred percent for at least a day or so. Which means… I can get back to the TARDIS and find out why it brought me to this exact point in time in the first place. But first I need back my things…"

Everyone listened in closely on the Doctor's little tangent, but House seemed to be the most intrigued. "So your 'ship', it brings you to places that need 'fixing'?"

"Exactly! Finally! You humans are actually beginning to 'get' the real reason why I'm here. I'll be honest; I never planned on having a bicycle colliding with me and ending up here and almost dying from an allergic reaction but lying here has given me time to think about what could possibly have brought the TARDIS here. But first, where are my clothes?" The Doctor said, another smile cracking on his face.

"Downstairs, we'll return them shortly. But you've just had a heart attack…You need to rest." Cameron said worryingly.

"Correction. Half a heart attack. Certainly won't kill me although if you had continued to argue then the other may not have started, but the past is in the past so that's no bother. But anyway, I feel fine!"

"Fine after a heart attack? And fine after every rib in your body had only been broken previously this morning?" Chase asked.

"I'll tell you, it hurts like hell to begin with but once it's all over it's like it never happened. But anyway, in thanks for not running off and telling every doctor and nurse that's in this hospital you're welcome to come have a look-see in the TARDIS. But only you five doctors and _nobody else_. Also, in gratitude for partially saving my life I'm not just going to disappear without saying a goodbye. I've got to find out what's going on here…" The Doctor said, pacing back and forth, and he quickly pulled the heart monitor's connection off his finger.

"So you're not leaving yet?" Cameron piped up.

"No, not yet. In fact, I might not be the only alien walking around this hospital; there may be someone or something else here that shouldn't be…" The Doctor said, and he spun around to face Foreman. "Now, can I have my things back? I won't leave yet, but I have a job to do."

"Right… I'll be back guys." Foreman sighed, shrugging and walking out the door.

House walked up to the Doctor and peered down into his eyes. "I think if we had another ET walking around the hospital, somebody would have noticed by now."

"Well obviously you wouldn't notice them. They could be a shape shifter, an entity made entirely of energy or perhaps they're just hiding. There might not even be anything in this time or hospital but the TARDIS rarely brings me places without a reason." He said with a sly smile on his face.

"Are you always this…Eccentric?" Chase asked, which was replied by a nodding Doctor.

"All the time! Now once I get my clothes, sonic screwdriver and psychic paper I can run down to the TARDIS, flip a few switches, push a few buttons and see if it's picked up anything out of the 'norm in this time frame."

"And what does this 'TARDIS' stand for?" Wilson enquired.

"Time and relative dimension in space. How many times do I need to repeat that?" The Doctor asked, running his hand through his ruffled up hair. "Downside about having lots of hair, you have to keep it neat… I'm starting to like my old body better…"

"Old. _Body_?" Cameron said slowly.

"That's a long story which I don't plan on going into right now. And where are my clothes? I need my sonic screwdriver…" He whined.

About 10 minutes of waiting and shifting around in the enclosed room 140A, Foreman had finally arrived back with the clothes, and all of the doctors had forwarded out of the room and allowed him to change in private. Well, the wall connected to the corridor was mostly windows but all had turned around to give him what little privacy he had in that room.

"Well I must say…The more I wear this suit…The more I like it." The Doctor said, looking down and making sure that everything was correctly on, zipped up and buttoned up. "You can all come in now!" He called out, and that prompted all five doctors to head back into the room.

"Quick question, but don't you have to go see other patients rather then sort me out?" He asked.

"This gets me out of Clinic Duty, and besides, I get to treat a real 'live alien'! Cuddy wouldn't be too impressed with me keeping this from her and the CDC but she's never going to find out." A leer appeared on his face and he swivelled around on his cane. "What are you waiting for?" He asked, signalling to the Doctor and gesturing to the door.

The Doctor appeared to be confused. "What do you mean?"

"You're going to show us your little 'spaceship'. After all we've seen today, nobody really knows what to think. For all we know, you could be some mutant or the remains of a severely messed up human experiment gone wrong." House was almost certain that he was an alien, but he figured that if he saw a real spaceship that would be the final amount of proof he needed.

"You still _don't_ believe me?! Fine! Let's go see the TARDIS, and then you'll have no choice but to believe me. Come on, and just keep quiet until you actually see it." The Doctor groaned, clearly frustrated.

The Time Lord walked out the door, with House, Wilson, Cameron, Chase and Foreman all following behind him. "And when you see it, _don't _touch anything!" He pleaded, and he led them down the corridor and towards the entrance of the hospital.

"This should shut them up…"


	8. It's Bigger on the Inside!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything House or Dr. Who related, the writers, producers and directors of the show do. I do however own my own imagination, so sit back; relax and enjoy my fanfic!

"I can't help but get the feeling that this is all going to be some really well thought out practical joke." Chase muttered under his breath, which got a displeased reaction from the Doctor.

"What did I say about 'being quiet' until we get to the TARDIS?"

"I have to agree. For all we know, Ashton Kutcher is going to jump out from behind the walls and yell 'Punk'd'. But we're not famous and we're certainly not anywhere near the celebrity level that he hunts down." Cameron sighed, and again; the Doctor shot them both a disagreeable look, stopped, and spun around to face all five doctors.

"Just _be quiet!_ I told you, you'll get to see the 'thing' that I'm going to show you but if you keep yelling it out loud then you won't get to see it! Do I make myself clear?" The Doctor groaned, getting a few odd stares from various other doctors, nurses and patients that were walking and passing through the corridor.

House leant on his cane and he pointed to the Hospitals' exit. "Now that you've educated my doctors in the way of keeping their mouths shut, how about we continue and see this 'ship' of yours."

"You will, now _shut, up!_" The Doctor yelled, his voice rising with frustration but he spun on his heel and stormed out the exit of the hospital. It seemed strange, for a group of five doctors to be following a suspicious looking patient out of the hospital, but clearly nobody seemed brave enough to step in and ask why the doctors were leaving the premises.

"Practical joke or not, we'd better hurry this up. I've got a consult in twenty minutes with a terminal patient, and it's usually not my manner to show up late…" Wilson sighed.

"You're in your third marriage. I didn't think that sort of thing would faze you…" House said, but before Wilson had the chance to respond, they followed the Doctor outside and felt the cold chill of the air snap at their skin.

"So where exactly is your _ship_ anyway? It can't be that hard to notice machinery larger then a car." Foreman settled, glancing around the car park, but to his expectations all he could see were cars, people and…A blue phone box, 'parked' neatly in between two parking spaces.

"I didn't notice that before. Since when do we have a 1960's phone box in the hospital car park?" Foreman said, pointing towards it.

"You're right. Is that somebody's idea of a practical joke? We've without doubt had our fair share of those today…" Wilson found it odd, but the blue box seemed so peculiar and odd just standing there by itself. It seemed so… _Out of time and place._

Right now, nobody was quite aware of the growing smile that had appeared on the Doctor's face.

"What are you smiling at?" Chase asked, staring inquisitively at the Doctor, but then he groaned in frustration. "Oh I get it; we're all the victims of a practical joke. Well played 'Doctor'…"

The Doctor's eyes widened. "That's not why I'm-"

"I don't believe it. This whole thing was just a scam for attention…" Cameron said, quite annoyed.

"Listen, I'm going to do my job. I don't know how your patient faked that whole charade but I'm not impressed." Wilson turned around to walk back to the hospital, but he was stopped by a hand placed firmly on his shoulder.

"You haven't listened to what I was going to say. That's not just a police box but the TARDIS." The Doctor pointed out to his blue box, and the other doctors looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces.

"Chase!" House yelled.

"What? What are you yelling at me for?" Chase retorted.

"Not only did you bring me the biggest charade of the century, but you brought me some guy that found his way to my vicodin or had way too much crack!" House yelled, slamming the bottom of his cane on the car park's cold surface.

"And if I remember correctly, I said something along the lines of _'If this turns out to be a waste of time, we're all going to blame Chase_', and sure enough, I was right!"

"Would you all just _SHUT UP?_" The Doctor yelled. "The moment you saw that I had two hearts, you wanted to study me like a lab rat! You tried to keep me in the hospital for as long as possible by lying to me, and _then_ you almost killed me with 'aspirin'. Believe what you want to believe, but if you chose not to, then go back into your little box you call a hospital. The TARDIS may look small from the outside, but you have no idea just how small the box you work in is, for you never truly get to see what's really going on out here, and out there!" He passionately pointed to the sky and looked up.

All five doctors stood there, not saying a word but listening directly to the Doctor's words.

"So do what you want to do, but I'm heading to the TARDIS. Come if you want, but all you're doing is proving to me that the humans of this time are _thick_." With that, he stormed off towards the blue box with his long coat flailing in the rising breeze. His hands were shoved firmly in its pockets, and pulling a spare hand out he latched it onto the cold handle and pulled it open. "I'm home…" He said smiling. As if in response, a faint rumble could be heard running through the TARDIS' interior.

The Doctor threw his long coat to the side, and brushed the remaining dirt of his pinstripe suit. "Humans… They're doctors for crying out loud and even after all they've seen, they're still willing to throw it all out the window to replace it with their flawed logic."

Meanwhile, outside the five doctors hadn't yet departed back into the hospital, in fact; they were standing right outside the TARDIS.

"Guys, this is just a joke. We're doctors, not gullible alien conspiracy followers. Let's just get back inside…" Cameron sighed with her arms folded across her chest.

"Something about this does seem quite peculiar." Wilson muttered, inspecting the wooden exterior closely.

"It's a wooden police box. How peculiar can it get?" Chase argued.

"How often do you see a wooden police box in the middle of a hospital car park…" House said.

"I thought you were blaming me for following a 'charade'?" Chase said, signalling to the box. "And you do realise that he can hear you in there. The box is probably only a square metre in area." 

"To be honest, I don't know what to think! All that we've seen today could be a hallucination for all we know but that's the thing. We _don't_ know what we're dealing with. I'm used to being presented with cases that I can explain, or with a logical scientific basis behind it, but none of this makes sense. If this turns out to be a joke, expect me to be popping the vicodin more often for the next few days…" House said, clearly uneasy about this whole string of circumstances that they were faced with.  
With one hand firmly placed on his cane, he reached out and took hold of the Police Box door handle, and then he pulled at it; but there was a problem, it was stuck.

"That's odd, it's locked. He obviously didn't need a key though." Wilson said. "Try knocking."

For once, House refrained from using a sarcastic remark against his best friend, and he knocked on the blue wooden door.

"This is pointless, he's probably waiting against the door with a bunch of streamers and he'll probably shout out 'SURPRISE' when he leaps through that door." Foreman said, but another unexpected event happened. The door slowly opened, with the Doctor standing right in the doorway.

"I guess you humans proved me wrong. You're not as ignorant as I thought." He said with a smirk evident on his face. "Ready to come inside?"

"Looks like it might get a bit kinky in there." House said, but Wilson just shoved him in the side.

"How are we all going to fit?" Chase asked. From where the Doctor was standing, they couldn't really see the 'real' interior of the TARDIS, but all in due time…  
"Allons-y! Come on in! Welcome to the TARDIS!" He said, stepping back so he was in the main circular walkway that surrounded the central control panel.

All five doctors stopped and stared at the interior of the TARDIS with their eyes widened and their jaws slack in sheer astonishment. They weren't even inside yet, but they could evidently see the interior, with its flashing lights, central control and impressive alien columns that towered up to the ceiling.

Wilson was the first to run inside, and then outside, and then back inside.  
"It's bigger on the inside! How the hell is that possible?!" He yelled.

Chase, Foreman and Cameron followed Wilson, and every single one of them was almost too speechless for words, but they managed to get a few across.

"How is this possible?!"

"Everything we learnt in science, does that even apply here?"

"How in the laws of physics…" 

"I think this is the proof we need. But this wouldn't be the first time I've said this, because it's _impossible._" House said numbingly once he had limped inside the TARDIS, and lucky for the Doctor the wind outside slammed the door shut behind House.

"You wouldn't believe how many people mention that when they walk inside. Everyone usually says '_It's bigger on the inside' _or '_How is this even possible?', _but it's generally easier just to accept the fact that it is what it is and move on." The Doctor said while in the process of checking over some readings from the sensors the TARDIS had built into it. "One second…Just checking over some readings. And… Nothing yet." 

All five doctors couldn't help but stare in utmost curiosity at the peculiar and strange figure that they knew as the Doctor as he ran around, constantly checking over the various screens that were placed on the control panel. 

"So this is your ship? The TARDIS?" Wilson asked. "Just how big is it? Can it actually fly?"

The Doctor spun around and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "To answer your questions; Yes, and you know what? I'm not exactly sure how big it is. Pretty big I guess, although there's probably a few rooms I haven't see yet."  
He pressed down on his sonic screwdriver and the blue light flooded down onto one of the control panels. "And, yes, it can fly… But I prefer 'appearing and disappearing'; I'm not a fan of flying this thing."

"What does that do?" Chase asked, pointing to the small device in the Doctor's hand.

"My sonic screwdriver. Fixes things, hacks into things and unlocks things. Saved my life on so many occasions." He said with a grin.

"So, just recapping on everything. You're an alien." Stated House. 

"Exactly."

"Who's 900 years old."

"Sounds about right. Could be older, but I never really kept counting after I hit 900."

"Who has a ship that doesn't really fly, but more or less appears in different parts of time and space?"

"Yes! Exactly!" The Doctor yelled, getting excited.

"Cool. So when does ET decide to take us for a ride?" House said, leaning on his cane but to relieve the pain he limped awkwardly over to one of the chairs and he sat down.

"I can't leave just yet. I need to find out what brought the TARDIS here. That's why I'm checking the sensors and scans, to see if it's picked up any alien activity. The only thing that stands out is that there's an energy build up inside a specific part of the hospital, but I can't pin-point where…"

"It could just be an MRI machine or one of the machines in Radiology. They give out strong levels of energy or radiation." Foreman suggested, not even sure if what he was saying was even valid in this situation.

"No no no…" The Doctor said whilst thinking. "It can't be that, because the energy isn't registering as being of Earth Origin. Whatever it is, it's not human." He said, peering closer at the readings. "The stronger the energy readings get, the more I'll know."

House peered around the interior of the TARDIS. It certainly was a sight to see, but it appeared as though the genius himself had finally met his match. This man was certainly more intellectually capable then he appeared to be, and House had also noticed that the Doctor enjoyed going off on his little tangents.

"But why would they choose the hospital? What would they hope to gain from using that as a hiding place…" The Doctor muttered, running back and forth between consoles and using the sonic screwdriver on various parts.

"How do you even know that there's something inside the hospital?" Wilson asked.

"I _know_, trust me." The Doctor said, standing up and walking towards the door.  
"Come on, you doctors need to get back to your jobs and I need to do mine. I won't be leaving the hospital right away so I'll be around… But something bad is coming this way, and I need to catch it out before it happens."

"How long until it happens? Whatever it is…" Cameron asked.

"From the looks of the energy build up, not that long." Said the Doctor grimly.

"Do you know exactly what we're dealing with?" House asked, standing up and limping towards the door.

"Not a clue! Which is what makes this interesting!" And with that, all five doctors plus the Doctor himself flooded out of the TARDIS and he closed the door behind him.

_"This would be so much easier if you were here Rose…" _


	9. The Rat ran right to Cuddy

Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything House or Dr. Who related; the producers, writers and directors of that show do. So sit back, relax and enjoy my fanfic.

Chapter Nine

(House and Cuddy)

After a wild series of events that had unfolded on that fateful Saturday, the next day had finally arrived. Chase, Cameron and Foreman had all decided to check into work early to get a few clinic hours out of the way, and Wilson was back up in his office consulting another terminal cancer patient. As for House…Well…

Inside his office, the main riff of the opening of _"Slippery When Wet" _could be heard sounding out through the speakers. House was holding his cane as if it were a guitar, and for every power chord that struck in the song he would powerfully push his hand up the stem of the cane. His fingers energetically ran over the little invisible strings that his cane guitar lacked but to him, it was a perfect moment.

"_Listen all them brothers, listen well. Brothers we got something to tell…" _The music echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls and right into Houses' satisfied ears. As he mouthed the words to the song and 'shuffled' around the room in a rock star pose, he paused while holding his 'cane guitar', for Cuddy was standing at the door with a large yellow envelope held securely in her hand.

"House, we need to talk." Cuddy said sternly, with a noticeable cleavage hiding in her blouse which House couldn't help but stare at for a concise moment.

"Judging by the way you're snapping at me this morning, I'm guessing it could be for two reasons. One, you're hormones are in overdrive because-"

"House, I'm not pregnant!" Cuddy argued, but House didn't seem to notice her interruption.

"That fertility treatment is actually working, _or _the coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet, _or _something I did hasn't quite pleased you, oh _'Ice Queen'_." House rested his cane to the side and relaxed back into his cushioned chair. "Whatever the reason you've come to yell at me this morning, just remember, I have clinic duty; And you know just how much I want to go help those attention seeking-"

"Very funny House. But yes, something _you _and your team did hasn't made me the happiest person in the hospital. How could you keep something from me like this?" Cuddy waved the envelope in front of House before smacking it down on the table, and House didn't take his eyes off it for a moment.  
"So you found my letter to apply you into the Miss Ugly Pageant? I still have to sign it you know, although with an ass as big as yours you should get early entry…" Even in times of peril, sarcasm was a huge relief for the stress.

"House! This isn't a joke! What we have here is… I don't even know, I can't explain it!" Cuddy snapped. "This patient of yours… John Smith is it? His case is unbelievable, and you didn't even think of coming forward about it?"

House narrowed his eyes down further at the envelope, but there was no use snatching it, for she had seen all there was to be seen. And in that envelope was a copy of every single one of the results. X-Rays, Blood tests, DNA tests; although the question was this. _How did it get to Cudd_y? _I locked that envelope in my desk…_

House then peered down and saw that the drawer where it was supposed to be had been opened, as the perpetrator hadn't even bothered to close it the whole way.

"How much was in there? Test results I mean." House said gruffly, gesturing to the envelope on the table.

"X-Rays, blood work, DNA tests… What you've done is serious House. Covering up a patient who has symptoms as serious as this is an offence! What if it's an epidemic?"

"How did you get hold of that envelope?"

"Don't ask me! I went out to get a bite to eat, and when I came back it was lying on my desk." Cuddy said, taking a deep breath and picking up the envelope.  
"I'd imagine you'd have more copies, so I'm keeping this one, but I may have to call in the CDC about this."

"Don't call in the CDC. It's not infectious or contagious, and we don't need them on our asses." House muttered.

"Alright then, if it's neither of those then what is it? You _do_ seem to know what you're dealing with here."

House thought for a moment. "Not sure, but the CDC doesn't need to get involved. John Smith has just suffered from some broken ribs, and when broken ribs decide to become contagious you can call your 'friends'."

Cuddy shook her head and tapped the fingernails of her spare hand on the desk. "You're lying."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Yesterday afternoon I had a nurse come crying to me about how you fired her for giving a patient aspirin, which caused him to go into cardiac and respiratory arrest…" Cuddy explained.

"She was a moron! So what if she had a great chest on her, the blonde probably had just enough brains to scrape through as a nurse and that's about it! You don't give a patient aspirin if you don't know their medical history!" House argued, slamming his first down on the desk.

"No, she was just doing her job. If the man was allergic to aspirin, he would have known himself, and you should have been informed on information like that. Also, she wasn't given any information on the patient, which technically is _your _fault." Cuddy stared down at House, who seemed to stay quiet for a second.

"We were still discussing the patient which is part of routine if I understand correctly." House said, twiddling his thumbs.

"I'm not done yet. I had several doctors and nurses come to me who said that they witnessed your patient suffering from a heart attack, but then his heart rate went 'normal'. So you then proceeded to hit him on the chest twice, and on the back which caused his heart rate to rise." Cuddy said, reading off a witness claim. "You _assaulted _a patient with broken ribs?!" She snapped, slightly bewildered.

"He wanted to get kinky and he needed a dominatrix…" House sarcastically remarked.

"Not funny! And that's not even half of the reports that I was given from witnesses throughout the hospital yesterday. Some people said that they witnessed John Smith get up and act as if the heart attack had never happened; _once_ you had assaulted him. Care to explain?"

"So he's a healthy man. I think I did him a favour."

"And here's where it gets really strange. Once the patient had been given his old clothes to change into; Doctor Wilson, Chase, Cameron, Foreman and yourself followed him out of the hospital and reportedly all entered that Public Call Box standing in the hospital car park. Is that some sick joke?" Cuddy said, raising an eyebrow in revulsion. She had read the witness report over before, but reading that out seemed strange coming from her lips.

"We all needed a time to bond and get closer together. I think it did Wilson some good, seeing as how his previous marriages haven't gone so well…" House said with a smirk.

"House! Enough with being a smart ass! This is serious and I'm teetering on the edge as to what decision I should make!" Cuddy yelled. "Two hearts, an abnormal number of chromosomes, impossible blood work and _that_ barely scratches the surface. If I don't call the CDC, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to call somebody that's better equipped for studying a patient with impossible symptoms like this."

"I'd recommend against that. He's _my_ patient and right now he's under the care of me and _my_ team." House said, slowly standing up and grabbing hold of his cane.

"I have power to overrule that. Until further notice, that patient isn't going to be allowed anywhere near the hospital exit. I want an MRI, CAT scan, anything you can think of that will give us more answers. And I know you're hiding some else, but any further information is also forwarded onto me. Understand?" Cuddy demanded.

House muttered something on his breath like "_This isn't your call to make_", and he knew that he couldn't tell Cuddy about John Smith's 'alien' heritage, so right now he just had to make sure that nobody outside the hospital got involved.

"Do I make myself clear?" Cuddy had a strong hand over House, and House certainly didn't like the feeling of being overruled.

"Crystal…" He grumbled, and he signalled to the door. "Now, if you don't mind… Get out?"

"If I find that you've been keeping anything else from me, then this case is going to be taken off your hands… And that's not just a weak threat either. I'm serious." Cuddy then exited out the door and the sharp _click_ of her heels could be heard down the corridor.

Now, not only did House have to keep this quiet, but he also had to find out just who had sold themselves out and given the results to Cuddy.

"Shit. We have a problem… And I smell a rat."

(The Doctor)

"Energy… Energy, what sort of energy would be building up in a hospital like this if it's of non-Earth origin? And why would they use a hospital?" The Doctor thought, placing on his glasses and peering in closely at a security number panel that was on one of the corridor walls.

"A plasmavore; a plasmoid, possibly a garsant? It has to be something that feeds off energy, or needs a strong energy field to survive. If only I could find out what energy it is." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and beamed the blue light down on the security panel, but all he got was the code for this area of the building.

"Was certainly a peculiar form of energy. I recognize it, but what in the blazes could it be? Harstan, Glenalta, Hughan… Oh well, once I get closer to the source of the build up then I'll be able to identify it, and the entity that comes along with it."

He shoved the sonic screwdriver in his pocket and spun around to walk in the other direction. The Doctor then reached in and pulled out a strange scanner device that had a few various lights flashing on it along with a continuous travelling line that rose, fell, and rose again. "With all these MRIs, X-rays and radiation machines going on, it'll just scatter my readings. I'll need to reconfigure it to block out the outside radiation…" He used the sonic screwdriver on the scanner, and then shoved it back in his pocket.

"Perfect! Ah-HA! Exactly! Now this is what I'm talking about!" The Doctor's serious face had been replaced by one that was filled with content and satisfaction. "This way!" He proudly stepped down the corridor while holding out his scanner and peering down at it to follow its readings. "Energy-building unwanted alien, here I come! The Doctor hasn't lost his touch just yet!" He laughed, following his set path around the corridor but he bumped right into Cuddy.

"My apologies, I should look where I'm going." He said, helping Cuddy up onto her feet. "But if you don't mind, I'm looking for something rather important and I need to be off. Allons-y!" He said, and still looking down at the scanner his two hearts pumped faster in his chest at the anticipation of finding exactly what was causing the alien energy build up at the hospital, but he was abruptly stopped by a feminine hand that placed itself on his shoulder.

"I might be wrong, but are you John Smith?"

"That'd be me!" He lied. "I don't mean to be rude, but I've really got to find what I'm looking for. It's very important." The Doctor said, taking off his glasses and placing them in his pocket.

"I'm afraid I have some rather, inconvenient and bad news. Due to a recent update that the doctors treating you were keeping your medical results from me, you're not allowed to leave this hospital until further notice." Cuddy said, taking a deep breath. "This isn't a decision that's been taken lightly, although with symptoms as severe as yours we could be facing an epidemic on our hands, but to be honest we don't really know what we're dealing with yet I suspect House does."

The Doctor looked surprised and taken aback from all of this, and the first thought that came to mind was _"I doubt House would have told, but who did?! This is not good…"_

"I do feel healthy, and I really doubt that I'm contagious and I hate to be rude but I _really _have to find something that could be potentially dangerous in his hospital." The Doctor said, appearing to be eager to leave.

"And what exactly are you looking for? And what's that in your hand?" Cuddy said, still holding the yellow envelope firmly in her grip.

"In a nutshell, basically something causing an abnormal energy build up. Nothing that important but I need to find it before it becomes dangerous. And this?" The Doctor said, holding up the scanner. "Just a phone with a few gadgets built in."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Looks like we're going to have to get a psych-evaluation, and as much as I would 'love' to help you find what you're looking for; you're not authorized to go looking through every corridor of this hospital. Come on, I'm going to escort you back to your room where you're going to _stay_ there until further notice."

This caused the Doctor to jump back and quickly brush Cuddy's hand off his shoulder. "And as much as I would _love_ to comply with your request, I really have to stop an alien entity from consuming the hospital with whatever method it has planned. Nice knowing you, and… I really have to go do my job. Allons-y!" He yelled, and he spun around to take off down the corridor.

"One more step, and I'm calling security."

"Start calling security then!" The Doctor yelled, and he took off down the corridor while at the same time, Cuddy was on the phone which connected to the security channel throughout the hospital.

"I'll need to work quickly…" The Doctor muttered under his breath.


	10. Security guards and Snitches

Disclaimer: I do NOT own House or Dr. Who (as much as I want to), the writers, producers, directors and actors do. So sit back, relax and enjoy my fanfic.

Chapter 10

(The Doctor)

"I've got to find this thing and get back to the TARDIS before it causes any damage, or before I get caught!" The Doctor said to himself in a panic, although slightly muffled thanks to the sonic screwdriver planted firmly between his teeth.  
Luckily for him, his coat had been left back at the TARDIS, and as much as he loved that old coat it did tend to slow him down when he was running for his life. For example, it had been snagged on a few surfaces on many occasions beforehand.

He skidded around the clean linoleum hospital floors while holding out his scanner awkwardly and following its readings. "Perfect! Getting closer!" He exclaimed with a wide grin on his face, but that grin dropped when he saw a pair of security guards talking down the edge of the corridor.

They quickly glanced down at a photo, and then back up at the 'culprit'.

"That John Smith?"

"That's him, come on!" The other yelled, and they took off at a sprint towards the bewildered Doctor.

"I can probably take a different route. Note to self, never get admitted into a 21st century hospital again!" The Doctor thought, spinning on the heel of his shoe and taking off down a separate corridor. "This wasn't my planned course of direction but at least I'm getting a stronger reading. The things I do for these humans, and all they do is whine, bicker and chase. The scanner device was gripped strongly in his hand, so he had to constantly shift his attention from the device, to what was up ahead of him – And that wasn't an easy thing to accomplish in a hospital corridor.

"Energy reading… Dam! Still can't make out what type of energy it is!" He yelled frustratingly, but he kept running as fast as possible. Luckily, with Time Lord physiology such as his, his lungs were much more powerful and capable of a longer period of endurance. He could still hear the pounding footsteps of the security guards behind him; they weren't really gaining any closer towards him, yet they weren't falling back either. And no doubt there would be more on the way.

"Looks like I need to go up a floor… Where's that bloody lift!" He darted this way and that between the surprised nurses and doctors that littered the corridor, but his determination had seemed to be rewarded when he saw a lift down at the end of the corridor – But with a catch.

"Out of order? _Out of order?! _Why bother putting a lift here if you can't use it? I'd better make this fast." He grabbed the sonic screwdriver from between his teeth, and flashed the blue light over the button panel of the elevator. "Come on… Come on!"  
The guards were getting closer, and closer, and…

_Ding_

"Excellent!" He yelled, running inside and slamming his hand on the button so the doors closed in front of the disgruntled security guards.  
"Allons-y!" The Doctor laughed. He had never been so happy to feel the elevator move beneath his feet and carry him up one floor, but today was a special occasion. This lift was saving his life – In a manner of speaking.

_Ding_

He took off down a corridor that looked spookily like the one downstairs, but were hospitals ever different on any floor. Not at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital – That was certain.

He came to an abrupt halt when he heard a small team of security guards conversing around the corner, so he listened in closely.

"So remember, when you find this 'John Smith', do _not _hurt the man. He's just a patient who's freaked out, got some weird disease and we need to escort him back to his room and make sure he doesn't leave the hospital."

"What disease does he have?"

"Don't know, she wasn't really clear on the details. But if he starts getting violent you're allowed _self defence_ only! Got that?"

"Got it."

"Now move out!"

The Doctor heard the team scatter and move in different directions, and luckily for him they failed to check the corridor that he was presently hiding in. His eyes narrowed down and looked at the scanner, and he wasn't far now from finding out just what was giving out the energy readings. "Why do these guards have to make this harder then it already is?" He muttered.

He carefully moved out of the corridor and followed the trail that the scanner was leading him on. A few more guard infested corridors to go and he'd find this alien entity once and for all.

"We just had word that he moved up onto this floor! Everyone, keep checking the corridors and the rooms!" A guard yelled, causing the Doctor to press his back against the wall. "Great, I need to do this and they're _not helping _my situation."

After slipping his way past a few guards and sprinting down a few corridors, he could see the room that his device was leading him towards, but he couldn't quite make out the words.

"A bit closer…" He muttered, but his eyes widened when he saw the words printed on the door.

MORGUE

"What would an alien want with dead bodies? In fact, what good are corpses for anyway?" Seeing as how the corridor was clear of any guards, he ran towards the door and tried to open it – But as usual, it was locked.

"No big job for my sonic screwdriver." He said with a grin, shining his majestic blue light upon the lock, and it _clicked_ open, allowing him to slip inside and close the door behind him.

The room was dark, but the energy readings spiking on his scanner were going off the charts. Whatever he was looking for, it was here. Shrouded within the darkness of this room, hiding behind a table or standing behind him – The alien was here.

"Alien, I demand you show yourself." The Doctor said, trying to flip on the lights with the switch but the power had indeed been drained. Most likely converted to another form of energy. An _alien form_ of energy.

He waited for an answer, but all he got was silence. "I said show yourself! You're not welcome, wanted or needed here. I'm not a human; I'm the Doctor – A Time Lord."

From the mention of the words 'Time Lord', a shuffled sound could be heard from the far end of the room, and then – A reply came.

"Doc-tor…" A voice replied. It was very deep, very subterranean and very foreign.

"What race are you? And can you turn on the lights? Talking to darkness is one thing but talking to darkness with an agenda wasn't really what I had in mind." The Doctor said, his calm and relaxed voice replacing his 'on edge' attitude.

"The, dark-ness suits me. I live in it. I thrive in it. Light weak-ens me. You do not need to know what I am, but all you must know is that – I will bring forth the destruction of the human race and purge this planet of its filth." The voice replied, clearly not a fan of Earth and its race.

"If I had a pound for every time an alien told me that I'd be a very, very rich Time Lord." The Doctor laughed. "But seriously. Species? Race? You've got to have some origin, some reason why you're building up mass amounts of alien energy inside a morgue…"

"I will bring forth the destruction-"

"Of the human race, I know. You told me beforehand, _but,_ a morgue seems to be a very dull room. Unless you're harvesting the remaining energy of the corpses to create your own… Which is smart, _but _everyone knows that energy taken from dead matter is highly unstable."

"Unstable energy is sufficient. You will die along with the others when my plan is complete, and that is very soon."

"Right, so unstable or not, you're creating a certain type of energy that for some reason, my scanner won't identify. So I'll say this again… Show yourself!" The Doctor could be very demanding at times, and this was one of them.

"I will not comply with your request."

"That wasn't a request, that was an order." The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and graciously raised it above his head while pointing it to the ceiling. The blue light shone out and reacted with the drained lights, and on they switched, revealing the alien creature that was presented before him at the other end of the room.

"Oh my god."

(House, Chase, Cameron, Foreman and Wilson)

House limped back and forth in his office. Not only did he have a problem with his team or Wilson as one of them had snitched to Cuddy about the Doctor, _but_ Cuddy had a security team chasing after the Doctor and no doubt she was going to call in more specialists, even the CDC.  
He had paged the ducklings and Wilson to head up to his office, because he needed to sort this out, and find the snitch that had the nerve to do this.

"What's wrong? I just got the page then." Chase said, running in Houses' office, followed by Cameron and Foreman.

"It better be important, I was in the middle of treating a patient and they weren't the type that's 'patient' about waiting." Foreman said with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, and you said it was an emergency so what's the emergency?" Cameron asked, her eyes wide with the fear of what House was about to say.

As House opened his mouth to speak, Wilson made a quick entrance into Houses' office. "Sorry I'm late. Had to give a consult to a patient, so whatever this is; make it quick. I can't just leave a terminal patient sitting in my office."

House sat down in his chair, and he looked up at each of them curiously.  
_One of them would have had the guts to do this, but who…_

"Cuddy knows." He said sternly, leaning back in his chair.

"What?" Cameron gasped.

"How could she know? I thought you had the results locked in your drawer?" Wilson asked.

"And we destroyed all the other results earlier this morning…" Foreman said.

"Apparently one of you went snooping around in my drawers, picked the lock and planted the yellow envelope with all the results – Right on Cuddy's desk." House didn't even crack a smirk this time.

"But that's impossible. It couldn't have been one of us, we all promised _not_ to go to Cuddy. And each one of us knows what Cuddy would do if she found out." Cameron said, slightly surprised by Houses' news.

"Everybody lies…" Wilson said, repeating one of Houses' favourite sayings.

"Now because each of you has your jobs and asses on the line, I don't expect you to own up. Although I promise you that I _will_ find out who the snitch is, and when I do – They're fired."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh? What if they were just acting on the patient's best interests?" Chase asked.

House shot Chase a glare. "A bit harsh? Whoever runs off to Cuddy deserves to get fired. It wasn't you was it?"

"Of course not!"

"Then keep those suspicious comments to yourself. Foreman? Was it you?"

Foreman shook his head. "No, but I do agree with Chase. All they did was make a mistake."

"Again! Keep the suspicious comments to yourself! Cameron?"

"I realise what's at stake here, so no. I wouldn't run off to Cuddy." She responded.

"See? A simple non-suspicious answer would be nice. Wilson?"

"Cuddy's a friend, but not somebody I would go to about this." Wilson said truthfully.

"Alright, so I guess I'm going to have to find this out the hard way. And I _will_ find the rat. I've already got Steve McQueen at home, and I don't need to put somebody else in a cage. Now get out of here!"

The other doctors nodded in request, and they flooded out of the room except for Wilson who stayed behind.

House looked at him strangely, and his eyes widened.

"It was you?!"

"No! That's not why I'm here. I wouldn't run to Cuddy, I'm not that low." Wilson said, sitting down at the chair on the opposite end of the table. "I just wanted to see if you're alright with this whole 'alien exists' thing. It was a shock for all of us."

"Wilson, I'm not a twelve year old girl with bedwetting problems. Ok, maybe the bedwetting problem part is true, but you get what I mean." House said, that addictive smirk reappearing on his face.

Wilson leant in closer, and he made sure that the Ducklings had gone off to do their jobs. "That's not what I really wanted to talk about. I think I know who the rat is, but it's only an educated guess. Nothing more then that."

House leant in closer. "So you're snitching on the snitch? I never thought you'd be the one to do that."

"I think its Foreman. This whole time, he seems to be the one that's in the most denial about it. But, if you think about it, wouldn't that give him an incentive to run off to Cuddy once he knew all this were real?"

"It's because he's black isn't it?" House said. He could never resist the racist remarks to Foreman, even though he never meant them. (Authors note: Racism Bad!)

"I never thought you'd be the type to pick him out because of that."

"House! No, I'm not a racist jerk like you are. But, just keep an eye on him. Anyway, I have to get back to my patient."  
Wilson stood up, and casually walked out of the room leaving a contemplating House, thinking about how he was going to go about this.

"Who is the rat…And where is the Doctor?"

TBC


	11. Kaboom and Sludge

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dr. Who or House; the directors, writers and producers do. I do however own my imagination, so sit back, relax and enjoy the fanfic.

**Authors note: I just wanted to mention here that somebody sent me a little message saying that this fanfic was 'dodgy' and lacked everything that could make it a good story. Well let me tell them that I may not write like a Dan Brown or a J.K Rowling but I write in my OWN style – And I write for my fantastic readers. (That's you guys! Many thanks for supporting me in this story and all the best , so sit back, relax and enjoy this chapter and many chapters to come!)**

Chapter Eleven

(The Doctor)

"Oh my god.."

"Doc-tor, it has been a while since we last met." The alien voice rumbled throughout the morgue. Its exterior image was hideous, almost enough to shun the eyes of anyone that looked upon it. One wouldn't exactly call it humanoid, but it was physical enough to resemble some sort of severely disfigured and mutated human insect hybrid.

It's head was…Strange to say the least. There were no visible black pupils in the centre of any of the four it had, but there were just deep red and orange irises that seemed to stare into anyone that it laid its eyes on. It's thick outer layer of skin was more like body armour, but various bits and pieces of it looked as though they were falling off due to some disease that had ravaged it for previous years.  
It didn't appear to be standing, but crouching down in the back wall of the morgue, it's head tilting to the side now and then as if to get a better view of the Doctor standing in the end closest to the door.

From the torso down were six legs protruding from a thorax, found on insects and ants, but even the armour on the legs looked as though it had been torn away and mutilated by a flesh eating disease. "Doc-tor…" It cursed under it's shallow and scorned breath, scraping at the floor with it's two 'arms', but they appeared to be more like insect's limbs, found on those such as the praying mantis or a grasshopper.

"You're supposed to be extinct! The varnex were all wiped out eons ago!" The Doctor said, flabbergasted at the sight of the creature 'crouched' before him. "Your entire race, gone…"

"Our race was indeed destroyed, except for all but a few. We survived by escaping to various planets, but unable to breed." It hissed, its head twitching slightly with every word. "And now… Now our lifespan grows limited. The disease of the flesh is tearing away at our life in our final years…"

"So that means you're still in telepathic contact with the other few that survived, no matter how great the distance. And you're in a morgue because?" The Doctor enquired, curious as to the Varnex's plans.

"Indeed Doc-tor…" A shallow hiss erupted from its throat. "But death is imminent and approaching fast. I may not be able to save the others, but I can save myself." It gave a weak cough, and scraped one of it's appendages on the ground. "The morgue is a perfect hiding place. I am harvesting the unstable energy from the bodies, and I will be able to create an energy field that will evaporate the disease of the flesh from my body, and that energy field will tear off the life force and energy of every single life form within an immensely sized radius and draw that energy into me." It seemed to be proud of its plan, but the Doctor wasn't amused.

"So with this 'energy field' you're creating, you're willing to take every life in this area to protect your own life and make it last a little longer?" The Doctor asked.

"A little longer? With the life force and energy of every human in this area, I'd have an excessively longer lifespan. And, once I master this method of survival, I can replicate it again, and again, and again so that my life will forever last and I would be the sole survivor of the Varnex…" Its tongue occasionally clicked between each word, and that awful twitch it suffered from was certainly a reminder of its mortality. 

"And just how big is this 'energy field' going to be?"

"Very… Very big. I can assure you of that, 'Time Lord'. You should be used to witnessing the destruction of a whole species. The Daleks, the Varnex. You Time Lords were no better then any other species struggling for survival, you simply killed them all off as you did us." The creature before him hissed and snapped in verbal retaliation.

"We did what we had to do. The Daleks were willing to wipe out every being in the universe, and you were planning on doing the same." The Doctor said, a serious tone firmly planted in his voice.

"So if we kill for survival, then what does that make you? No better then us!" The Varnex screeched in protest.

The Doctor paused for a moment, but now wasn't the time to be having a debate on who was more posed on genocide. Now was the time to save the human race from the Varnex and get back to the TARDIS in one piece.  
"Stop what you're doing, and I'll let you live. I can find you a home away from here when you can live the rest of your days in peace and out of hiding. That's my final offer."

"Silly Doc-tor. The Varnex will never cooperate with a Time Lord." It hissed.

"Then you've given me no choice." The Doctor ran over to the temperature control and pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver.

"Get away from that!"

"You Varnex have two weaknesses. Light; and intense heat. I've already turned on the lights, and you seem to have gained some resistance to it. But! It's freezing cold in here and that's another reason why you chose this place." The Doctor had a grin on his face, and he held up his sonic screwdriver against the temperature control panel.

"GET AWAY!" It shrieked, opening its mouth and letting a splurge of bubbling acidic waste erupt and fly towards the Doctor, but of hitting his chest where it was aimed to be, the waste collided with his hand.

"Argh!" He yelled, his hand dropping his sonic screwdriver and he retreated his hand towards his chest. The skin was badly burnt, and it didn't look in great shape although it was nothing a Time Lord couldn't handle. "Varnex, _now_ you've left me no choice!" With his spare hand, he picked up the sonic screwdriver and blasted the blue light onto the temperature gauge. Instantly, the temperature began to rise to a point where the little monitor was giving a reading of 40 degrees Celsius. 

In response, the creature shrieked and screeched and its body's twitch became more severe with every jolt. "I do what I must to survive!" Suddenly, a yellowish energy field began to surround the Varnex, and that meant that its plan was beginning to be put in motion.

"No! I won't let you take their lives!" The Doctor yelled. Sweat was running down his forehead and a nasty smell was beginning to rise in the morgue but he didn't have a lot of time left. In minutes, the energy field would be strong enough to draw the life force and energy of everyone within an incredible radius, but the Doctor still had some fight in him yet. "You have no right!" He roared, and with a final pulse of the sonic screwdriver, the temperature rocketed to an incredible 60 degrees Celsius.

The energy field around the Varnex began to flicker and pulse, but to the Doctor's fortune it was beginning to fade and vanish. "Stop this!" The Varnex screeched, but the Doctor simply stood there, weakened, but he was still standing.

"One… More rise." He coughed, raising the temperature to 70 degrees Celsius, and this is where the disgusting part commenced.

The Varnex's body began to bloat and puff up, almost like a popcorn piece. But this was much more gruesome. The skin and insectoid armour began to flake off, then rot off and then burn off. Its eyes and mouth were bubbling with its acidic body chemistry, and in a crouched position it began to buckle down and 'dribble' onto the floor. "This is why killing a Varnex isn't the cleanest job." He thought. The Doctor was weak himself, but he had enough energy to turn around and face the wall.

_BOOM!_

Throughout the explosion of the beast, the hospital shook slightly, but then stood still.

A greenish, yellowish sludge filled with crunchy remnants of the Varnex had covered every inch of the walls and ceiling, and it didn't help that the temperature was ridiculously hot.

The Doctor quickly toned down the temperature to a safe 10 degrees Celsius, but his hand had a bad burn and he had been severely drained from the hot temperature and from the energy field that had clearly drained a minimal amount of his life force. "Never, never kill a Varnex without a cleaning crew." He groaned, turning around and placing his glasses and his sonic screwdriver back in his pocket. The entire back of his suit, hair and pants were covered in the alien's glutinous and sticky guts, and it didn't help that this was the Doctor's favourite suit. "Varnex guts… I hate Varnex guts." He whined. "And not to mention that my favourite suit is covered in filth… Oh well, I suppose I can just get it cleaned _somehow_." 

With his hands, he began to push and slide the ooze off his skin and clothes, but most of it was sticky enough to become the next industrial strength glue for NASA. "And no doubt House is going to kill me for this. I think I just destroyed the hospital's morgue…" His brown eyes peered around the room, but it would take a fair bit of effort to get this mess cleaned up.

"But the hospital and the Earth is safe… "

(House and the Hospital staff)

Music blared throughout Houses' office, but this time he wasn't playing his cane guitar. More or less, he was just sitting back in his chair, sipping some Starbucks and contemplating about how much he would love to get Cuddy fired from her job – But that was the problem, she was only doing her job and this wasn't exactly a ploy to piss him off – Or was it?

"Maybe I can go to Cuddy and sort this out. I can't let this get out to – Whoa!" He was cut short when the ground beneath him began to shake and rumble for a few seconds. "What the hell?!" In that small space in time, it managed to push him from his chair and land a crippled man face first on the ground while still holding the handle of his fallen cane. "Since when do we have earthquakes here... We're not on a fault line." House grabbed hold of the desk's edge, and pulled himself up so that he was standing; but leaning on his cane to maintain his weight.

"House! Are you ok?" Cameron said who had seen her boss fall during the 'quake'. 

"I'm fine. I lost my hooker, and I think she ran under the table." He said sarcastically, but then he gave a grunt in frustration. "Alright, so no hookers; but I don't suppose you know what caused that? I couldn't have been an earthquake."

"Guys, there's been an explosion in the hospital. It wasn't an earthquake because it happened on one of the higher floors but Cuddy called in a bomb squad which is on the way so that they can check out the damage." Wilson said, walking in on the two doctors. "At least nobody I've seen was badly hurt by the explosion, but who knows how bad it is upstairs?"

"Everyone alright? What the hell was that?" Chase said, running inside. "I felt an explosion and-"

"We all heard and felt it 'kangaroo boy'. This just adds to our ever growing list of problems. Cuddy won't let ET leave the hospital; she's going to call in more 'specialists' and now we have an explosion on one of the upper floors. _Great."_

House muttered sarcastically.

"Anyone know where Foreman is?" Cameron asked, peering around the room.

"Last I saw, he was heading down to get some lunch, but if he's downstairs then he'll be fine." Wilson answered.

From the outside of the room, the group could see various doctors, nurses and patients heading this way and that in fear of the explosion. Everyone seemed to be passing facts and rumours along to each other, but it was only because nobody knew just what the hell was going on. The main rumour was an earthquake, but the more unconventional ones were terrorist attacks, equipment explosions or just something really heavy falling over. Little did they know was that an alien entity had exploded, sending it's glutinous guts all over the walls but the less they knew, the better.

"Where's the Doctor?" Wilson asked. "Maybe he's behind all this."

"Why would be want to cause an explosion? I thought he was on our side?" Chase inquired.

"I don't know, maybe because he's an alien?" Nobody knew what to think, but they were crudely interrupted by a tap at the doorway.

"Did somebody say 'the Doctor'?"

House, along with the three other doctors all turned their heads to look at a sludge covered man in a pinstripe suit. "Yeah… _Really_ sorry about that explosion. Turns out that the alien was a Varnex; and it wanted to drain the life-force out of every living thing within an immense radius. BUT! It's all taken care of, although your morgue might need a bit of cleaning up."

Wilson, House, Foreman and Chase all blinked and stared at him with widened eyes and a shocked expression.

"Are you alright?" Cameron stammered. "That's not poisonous, is it?"

The Doctor smiled, and wiped some of the gooey innards off his face. "Me? I'm fine! And no, the worst Varnex guts will do is leave a bad stain on your clothes, and that's about it."

"And _that _stuff is all over the morgue?" House asked, although the repulsive smell caused his face to cringe slightly.

"Exactly! It's on the walls, on the floor… On the ceiling, and all over me. And it doesn't help that I really like this suit." The Doctor wasn't sure wether or not to be amused that he destroyed the alien menace, or depressed because his favourite selection of attire had been disgustingly stained.

"Your hand… Did you burn it?" Chase said, pointing to the Doctor's wounded hand, which had suffered a nasty burn from Varnex saliva.  
"Varnex fluid. Hurts like hell when it burns you but on the plus side these types of wounds are pretty easy to heal. And I don't know if you already know this but apparently I'm not allowed to leave the hospital…"

House nodded. "We know. Somebody from my team or Wilson stole the test results from my office and planted them right on Cuddy's desk. I'm in the process of finding out who it was."

"It wasn't me; I wouldn't go running off to Cuddy. You know that." Cameron said sympathetically.

"Or me. Money's on Foreman." Chase said.

"And it wasn't me. But any of us could be lying here, and Foreman isn't even here to defend himself." Wilson stated.

"Well whoever it was, as long as I get out of here and back to the TARDIS, I'll be fine. It was nice meeting you all, thanks for treating me and-"As he waved and spun around, he was met by a furious Cuddy at the door.

"John Smith I presume?"

"That… Would be me, yes." The Doctor said, a weak smile was on his face.

"Clearly you're the perpetrator behind the vandalism in the morgue." She said, looking at him up and down in all his sticky glory. "And not only did you avoid being escorted back to your room by security guards, but you entered into unauthorised areas of the hospital. Care to explain why vandalising the morgue was worth all that?"

"It wasn't vandalism. Sufficed to say, I saved your life and others. Now, if you don't mind. I really have to get going."

"You're not going anywhere. I've called in some specialists to analyse your condition, and I've got security guards placed at the door. I'm going to escort you back to your room along with these guards." Cuddy said.

"But you don't understand! I can't stay here; I've got work to do! I've got to get myself cleaned up and I've got to-"The Doctor was becoming increasingly frustrated. He saved the world, and what did he get? This!

"Vandalise the hospital? Get the doctors to cover up your medical results? Come on." Cuddy said, and the Doctor followed.

_I'll get out of here…_

"And House! Get you and your team to get those results I asked for!" Cuddy yelled, leaving a pissed off House, a confused Wilson, a contemplating Cameron and a fearful Chase in Houses' office.

House's piercing blue eyes looked at the door, and the sloppy footprints the Doctor had left. "This is not going well…We need to find who snitched, and we need to save the Doctor."

TBC - 


	12. Trapped but the Snitch came forth

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or House; the producers, writers, and directors do. BUT, I do own my imagination – So sit back, relax and enjoy my fanfic!

**Authors note: Sorry for the delay, I've been busy riding my donkey of a horse. BUT, here's my chapter! Thanks for your kind reviews, you guys rule .**

Chapter Twelve:

"Now I want you to stay here, and any attempts to leave the hospital will be dealt with correctly. Understood?" Cuddy stood in front of the Doctor who seemed to be in a particularly awkward position. Not only was he confined to this hospital, but now he was being accused of vandalism and specialists were on their way to analyse his 'condition' further.

"Oh now this is bollocks!" The Doctor argued. "I haven't done anything wrong! In fact, I saved your _life_. And what do you do? Keep me in this room and expect me to be confined to the hospital?"

"I don't expect you to stay here; under strict orders from me you won't be allowed to leave the premises until further notice. I'm sorry, but that's just how we're going to go about this." Cuddy said firmly, her sharp green eyes locked coldly on the Doctor. In some way, she did feel sympathy for the man, but then when she came to the realisation that he was covered in a thick green mucous slime she couldn't help but see him as a vandal who either had a serious condition or something to hide.

"You can't do this! I… I have rights! I need to get back home!"

"'John Smith', according to my source you don't even _have_ a home. You wouldn't even give your address out willingly and as you had no legitimate ID to provide the hospital we can easily consider you a homeless man." Cuddy sighed and turned on her heel to make her way over to the door.

The Doctor rubbed the back of his head with his hand in aggravation and shook his head. "Well it's not like that. I do have a home, but it's not really what you'd call a home and it's not really in one place at one time…"

"So what is it then?" Cuddy seemed determined on getting answers.

"It shouldn't matter, but I shouldn't have to tell you! Weird people come into the hospital all the time, and I happen to be one of them. So I'll ask you again, let me return to my 'home'." The Doctor seemed determined himself, but for getting out of the hospital and back to the TARDIS.

"Not until we get more answers. We're not doing this to make your life a convenience Mr. Smith, but your condition is something that doesn't identify with any other condition known to medical knowledge, and for all we know it could be life threatening. I'm sorry, but you're staying here and…" She peered down at her watch, checking the time. "And I have to go make sure that House is doing his job. Remember what I said – _Don't_ leave the hospital." Cuddy looked critically at the Doctor; she then slipped out of the room and closed the clear glass doors behind her.

"Come on, I'm a Time Lord. Do they _honestly_ think that they can keep me from the outside and my TARDIS? Humans can be incredibly thick sometimes…" The Doctor sat on the side of his head and gripped the bed's padding tightly. He was still unfortunately covered in Varnex fluid from head to toe. Most of it had been removed from his face but he still had globs of the stuff stuck to his clothing and skin. "Just like that beast's innards. But I can't blame them, they're only pursuing in medical science and seeing something with my internal anatomy would get anyone from this time stumped. Look at all the trouble you've caused." He said, peering down at his chest where his two hearts were imbedded inside.

"But no matter, I'll get out of here in no time flat." He hopped onto his feet and strolled over to the door, but as he pushed the door open and poked his head out he was met with an unfriendly stare from one of the security guards that had been positioned close by in the corridor. "Just getting a breath of fresh air!" The Doctor called out. "Ugly brute…" He grumbled, and he slipped back inside and began inspecting the entire room. "If only Rose were here…"

Occasionally, he would crouch down and analyse the various medical equipment in great detail, but nothing here would be of use for his 'great escape'. What he needed was a distraction, or just enough time to slip past the first guard and make his way downstairs to the front door.  
"_A shame I can't just have my TARDIS materialise in the middle of the corridor. Now 'that' would be a distraction."  
_

His profound brown eyes continued to dart around the room, but then he saw the most obvious means of escape. "A window!" He said excitingly, and he ran over to it and struggled to pull it open. "A locked window! This just keeps getting better and better!" This time the Doctor wasn't being sarcastic. He was actually happy it was locked, for it would give him another chance to shine some light with his sonic screwdriver. Doing just that, the lock on the window _clicked_ open which allowed him to pull up the hatch and a peaceful breeze rushed inside the room.

Only problem was, he was at least four floors up with a sheer drop to the bottom…But, from where he was he could see the TARDIS parked right where he left it. "I'm coming back old girl, but at least it's not the daleks keeping me from you." He thought, his hands gripping the window sill firmly while he peered down at the ground below. "I can't just fly down, I don't have that luxury. And I don't think I'll be climbing." The Doctor laughed to himself, but he flipped his sonic screwdriver back in his pocket and he slid down the wall in defeat.

"I must be losing my touch. I'm the last of the Time Lords; I've lost my one and only companion and I can't even get to the TARDIS which is practically less then a mile away. What, what what am I going to do…" With a _click_ of his teeth banging down together in a thinking mode, he slumped down and sat against the cold hospital wall. "

(House and the Ducklings)

After that little 'Cuddy tantrum' with the Doctor being escorted away by the security guards, House and his team were left in his office trying to sort out the whole situation. By now, Foreman had arrived, but it was only _after _everyone else had shown up to the meeting.

"I don't care if any of you won't admit it, but one of you blabbed to Cuddy and none of you are leaving this office until I find out just who the hell it was!" House yelled. "All thanks to you, ET can't leave the hospital, and we've most likely got specialists and the CDC on our ass – Which is EXACTLY the thing we were trying to avoid!"  
Things tended to get scary when House raised his voice, like the time he struck out at Chase and clobbered him right on the forehead.

"House! It wasn't me! I thought we established that, and I'm not even on your team – so what would I gain from telling Cuddy?" Wilson said, defending himself in the heat of the moment.

"And why would I do it? I know what's at stake here. The media would get a high off this if they knew what we were hiding." Cameron said, quite concerned.

"Don't bother defending yourselves, I just want somebody to own up about the whole thing and-"House was cut off by the arguing between the ducklings.

"Maybe it was you Foreman. While that little 'bomb' was going off, you were nowhere in sight…" Chase stated, glaring at Foreman.

"Well _maybe_ it was Australia boy here, accusing me because I'm black!" Foreman retaliated.

"Or maybe it was one of you two because you can't seem to shut up about it!" Cameron snapped at the pathetic male verbal dogfight.

"Well maybe it was you? Just because you're a woman doesn't mean you're any less of a suspect!" Chase argued.

"SHUT-UP!" House yelled, slamming the bottom of his cane on the floor, and this certainly turned heads and shut mouths of all that were sending insults back and forth. "If one of you doesn't own up now, you're all fired!" It was a rash decision, but a decision nonetheless.

"House, don't you think that's a little extreme?" Wilson said curiously.

"No… What's _extreme _is me taking off my clothes and doing a lap dance around my cane. All I'm doing is finding a rat among doctors. I might not fire them, but I want a reason as to why the hell they had the nerve in doing what they did." House growled.  
"So speak up! You have ten seconds…"

"Ten."

The three doctors looked suspiciously at each other, exchanging sharp glares and eyeballing views.

"Nine."

"Whoever it is, just speak up. I don't know about you but I value my job." Cameron said, looking at the other two.

"Eight."

"Sounds like you're giving an incentive for one of us to own up anyway. Are you sure it wasn't you?" Chase implied, hinting at Cameron.

"Seven."

"Whoever it is of you three, just own up. We don't have time to fight and bicker about who did what and who snitched on whom but we need to get this out of the way _now_ if we want to get the Doctor out of this mess." Wilson said, nodding at the three. "So come on, quit wasting time!"

"Six."

"I'm telling you! It wasn't me!" A defensive expression was locked onto Chases' face. He was one who really valued his job and he didn't like the idea of losing it over a petty argument such as this.

"Five."

All three remained silent, still glaring at each other but the prospect of losing one's job was approaching closer and closer.

"Four."

"So it wasn't you, but you're willing to pick out a man because of his colour?" Foreman sighed.

"Three."

"And you're willing to target a man because of the country he comes from? Just because I'm Australian, that doesn't make me a lying snitch!" Chase yelled.

"Two."

"Whoever it is, just own up! NOW!" Cameron yelled.

"One."

Nothing but silence filled the room.

House sighed, and tapped his cane gently on the floor's surface. "Well, seeing as how none of you have the backbone to own up to a crime one of you obviously committed, I'll expect you out of this hospital by the end of-"

"Wait. Don't do this." A voice spoke up from all the others as House turned his back to his team.

"Hmmm? And I suppose you wanted to say your final words before you and the rest were fired?" House said, gesturing to Cameron.

Cameron seemed reluctant to do so, but she valued her job as much as the other team members, and she couldn't let this lie go on any further. "It was me. I gave the results to Cuddy and gave her information to an extent, but not on everything we know." She knew everyone was shocked at her coming forward, and she seemed to be one of the least suspected suspects among the three others.

"Cameron?!" Chase gasped.

"You were the snitch all along? And you had the nerve to blame us?" Foreman seemed shocked himself from the identity of the snitch.

"Cameron, out of the all the people it could have possibly been. Why you?" Wilson asked, slightly intrigued as to the reason why himself.

House seemed to be the least surprised, but surprised nonetheless. "Out of all the members of my team it could have been why did it have to be the snitch with the good breasts and a nice ass…" He muttered, and he glared at the culprit standing before him. "Why'd you do it?" House stated simply, whilst leaning on his cane.

Cameron couldn't take the lies any longer; it was time to come forward. "I felt as though Cuddy had a right to know what was inside her hospital."

"What? A man with two hearts?" Chase scoffed.

"An alien. A being who isn't a man from Earth but a man from _another world_. I don't know if any of you see the significance in that but we're not just analysing a man with unusual symptoms, we're analysing a creature that the rest of the twenty billion lives on Earth have no idea exists." Cameron put forth her argument strongly, and she wasn't about to back down now.

"So you think that because he's not from this planet, he has no rights and he shouldn't be allowed to leave because he's not recognized by any of the science journals?" Foreman laughed sarcastically. "Good reason there…"

"_No_. Not at all, and I never intended on Cuddy taking it this far but where she's going with it from this point – I don't know. All I know is that she has no idea what he really is." Cameron sighed.

"So you ran your little tight ass to Cuddy; handed her the results, blabbed about everything else but left out the fact that he's an alien, even though you feel that everyone else should know what we have?" House said, a smirk taking a holiday from his face.

"Once I saw the ship, I didn't know what to think, so that's when I decided to go to Cuddy. I was going to tell her, but I kept changing my mind. I'm _sorry."_

_  
_"What you did was wrong, but in a way I can see where you're coming from." Wilson said, leaning against the wall.

"I guess you're going to fire me then." Cameron said. "I didn't do this to piss you guys off; I did it because I didn't know what the hell to think at the time."

Before House could open his mouth, Chase shook his head. "House, don't fire her. She made a mistake, but I honestly had the same feelings at the time when I saw that ship. We _all_ did, but Wilson was right – Now's not the time to be pointing fingers, we have to get the Doctor out of this."

Rather then a smart assed remark from the crippled man standing before them, House simply nodded and pointed to the door.

"Wilson, go talk to Cuddy and try and talk some sense into her. Chase, Cameron and Foreman, I want you to sit on your asses and do nothing until I ask you to do something. As for myself, I'm paying a visit to the Doctor…"

TBC_  
_


	13. Sanity and Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or House; the producers, writers, and directors do. BUT, I do own my imagination – So sit back, relax and enjoy my fanfic!

**Authors note: I am so sorry for the huge delay! It was my holiday break and I had to ride the horse a lot to cool him down. Thanks for being patient, and here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter Thirteen

(Cuddy and Wilson)

Wilson didn't exactly know what he was doing. Firstly, he wasn't entirely sure if this whole experience was just a side-effect of House doping him up with amphetamines (as happened previously once before) and that this was a hallucination as a result of the possible side effects, and secondly he valued his job and felt intimidating approaching his friend and his boss with what he had to say.

With a brief knock on the door, he peered inside and could see Cuddy with her fingers flying over the keyboard. No doubt she was in the middle of typing an important email, although House did have a theory that she was looking up porn yet Wilson tended to let that snark about Cuddy fly by him.

"Cuddy, do you mind a word?" Wilson said, opening up the door and taking a step inside.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and sighed. "House sent you?"

"Sure did… But I guess I also came on my own incentive. So this isn't _entirely_ House's reason for me being here." Wilson shuffled one hand around his pocket anxiously, but hopefully for the sake of House's patient he could talk some sense into his friend.

"Alright." Cuddy took a deep, frustrated breath and pointed to the chair. "Ten minutes, and then I've got to welcome an attending lecturer among other things. So shoot."

"Is keeping the patient John Smith here really necessary? Homeless or not, we can't keep this man in the hospital like a prisoner…" Wilson chuckled. "House already brings this hospital enough bad publicity as he brings good, so the last thing we need is media coverage on how we're keeping a patient like a lab rat..."

"This is different Wilson. _Nothing_ about that patient makes sense; his chromosome count, his blood work, his internal anatomy... Nothing!" Cuddy shuffled through some papers and pulled out that familiar yellow envelope, and out of that she quickly pulled out the results of the blood work taken from 'John Smith'.

Wilson himself already knew the real reason behind the bizarre 'symptoms', but was he really at liberty to spill the _real_ secret to Cuddy? House 'did say to stop Cuddy in bringing in more specialists and carrying this further, but he never actually said not to tell her. And besides, Cuddy was a valued friend of Wilson, and perhaps she had a right to know.

"And what's this?" Wilson inquired, pretending to look surprised yet he had a clear indication as to what it was.

"His blood work, he's missing vital factors and for the ones he has; we can't explain, identify or describe. I also neglected to mention earlier on that his temperature is at least 20 degrees Celsius. – So explain to me why this man isn't in a severe state of hypothermia?"

Wilson blinked a few times, and before he could open his mouth to explain why, Cuddy stopped him short and continued to argue on the subject.

"That's right, you _can't_. Nobody can, hence the reason why I'm bringing in specialists and the CDC. We could be looking at a new strain of a virus, or possibly a new genetic condition… Something we haven't seen before." Cuddy sighed, gently sliding the paperwork back into its yellow enclosure.

"Why not use House and his team? I thought they already had the man covered?"

"The reason why House and his team are off the case is _because_ they chose to keep the results of this patient a secret from the rest of the hospital and if I don't know what's happening with one of House's patients then I'm not doing a proper job at this hospital. House needs to be watched. You know that better then me…" Cuddy was referring to the increase of pills that House had been consuming lately. Maybe just a pain-killer, but possibly also to feed his addiction that everyone believed and theorized about.

A sympathetic look appeared on Wilson's face, and he sighed. "I realise he's been throwing down more vicodin then normal, but for all we know his leg is getting worse which is resulting in constant agony. And you know what happens when we try to get him in rehab, he just weasels his way out again!" He said, making a show of himself with his hands waving in the air. "I can't stop him throwing down the pills, and neither can you – but it helps him function."

"And helps make him miserable." Cuddy added.

"Point taken, but that's not the point I'm trying to make during this meeting which-"Wilson glanced down at his watch. "I'm running out of time, but perhaps I can keep you here a bit longer with what I'm about to say. And hopefully, just _hopefully_ you'll call back the CDC and Specialists and tell them to turn around and go back, and let House and his team back on the 'case'."

"Oh?" Cuddy scoffed. "And what exactly are you going to tell me that will make me change my mind? You're a good friend Wilson, but what has to be done, _has to be done._"

"I am going to sound like a Trekkie at a Sci-Fi convention but… Here goes." Wilson muttered, staring down at his shoes for a moment and then returning his gaze to Cuddy. "The man's an alien. Getting those specialists and the CDC would cause a media circus if they found out what he was."  
_I'm blaming House if I get sent to the Psych ward as a patient…_

"What?" Cuddy's glance darted to Wilson in disbelief, humour and of course – concern. "You _are _still an oncologist, right?"

"Of course, but if you'd just listen to-"

"Did House put you up to this? I'm really not in the mood for petty jokes such as this, although I'll give House credit." Cuddy gave a bemused grin and began to stand up from her chair. "This time he didn't make any jokes involving my ass or breasts – It's an improvement. A sad one, but an improvement none-the-less."

"Lisa! Just listen to me!" Wilson yelled, taking a strong stance on where he stood. The first name calling took Cuddy by surprise, and she sat right back down again. "James, are you feeling alright?"

Wilson rubbed his forehead slightly and took a deep frustrated breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. It's just that… What you're doing is a big mistake, if only there were a way to get you to believe me…"

"Believe you about what? The fact that this man is ET who's trying to phone home?"

"Well…Yes! I know it sounds insane, but that's the real reason why House hid it from you in the first place. He was protecting the patient's welfare – And I know how foreign that sounds."

Cuddy paused for a moment, and she peered down at the yellow envelope. "He's got unusual symptoms, but he _is_ human; he _looks _human, he _has_ to be human!" Cuddy was one woman who wasn't about to let this 'joke' get the best of her.

_Perhaps I'm going to have to admit him to the psych ward if he keeps this up…But he is my friend, I may as well hear him out before I run out of time. Damn that lecture._

"Lisa." Wilson looked at her directly in the eyes. "If I show you proof, as in 'hard solid evidence' that this man is the real deal, then promise me you'll call off the CDC and the Specialists." He said, not prepared to let his argument go astray.

Cuddy sighed, and looked this way and that. Making eye contact was hard with Wilson, especially when he went into 'therapy' 'I care' mode. "Alright, but the moment I pop the bubble of your fantasy, I'm ordering you to get an MRI, CAT scan to check for brain tumours and a psychological evaluation…" She said. "I don't like seeing you like this James… But fine. Show me 'proof' later on, I've got work to do."

Wilson thought for a moment, and just as he was about to speak out he suddenly remembered that he didn't have the TARDIS key. The Doctor did. "When I get the key, I'll take you inside."

"Key? Inside what? I really hope you're still sane. I value you as a doctor and as a friend." Cuddy said, obviously concerned for the welfare of her friend.

"Of course I'm sane. If you match me up beside House you can't get anymore sane then me." Wilson chucked. "When are you next free?"

"Let me check…" She scrolled through a few pages opened on her desktop while peering in closer to get a better look at the tiny font. "In about an hour and it's 11 am now so meet me back here at lunch." Cuddy quickly shoved the Doctor's results in the drawer and with a _click_ it locked.  
The moment she made it to the doorway she spun on her heel and glanced over at the semi-frustrated Wilson. "But if you do have 'hard evidence' to show me, then I'll call off the specialists and the CDC. Now you can go back to House and his team and tell them what I told you. Meet me here at 12, don't forget!" In a flash, she was out of the doorway and her heels made a _click click click _while she hurried down the corridor.

_Time to get the key to the 'car'._

(House and the Doctor)

Thankfully, by now the Doctor had changed out of his glop-ridden clothes that carried the stench of alien-gizzards, sulphur and burnt flesh, and now he was in those standard hospital pyjamas that he had despised earlier on.  
"What a shame, I really liked that suit. And Varnex slime is near-impossible to get out of clothing. Oh well..." He sighed. Currently, he was lying on the bed and staring aimlessly up at the hospital grade ceiling. His hands were absent-mindedly fooling around with his sonic screwdriver and every so often he would reach into his pocket and fiddle around with his psychic paper. "Next time I collide into something, it had better be soft." He muttered to himself.

"People on this planet and in this century tend _not_ to collide with oncoming bikes or traffic. Makes more sense that way." Interrupted a familiar voice – flooded with sarcasm, snark and cold humour.

"You may not believe this, but it was never my honest intention to get my ribs broken. Luckily for me, I'm a fast healer…" The Doctor said, running his hand through his ruffled hair – Ruffled thanks to those static-cling pillows.

"Either way, one would think an alien from an advanced civilisation has road sense. Even the occasional street-dog has enough sense to jump out of the way when something is heading towards them and-"House was interrupted by the Doctor's own snark.

"Yeah, I get the point. The Doctor made a mistake!" He said, rolling his eyes. "Last of the Time Lords, can't even get out of a bloody hospital and get to my ship which is right outside." The Doctor's frustration seemed to be rising at every meeting. "But let me ask you this 'House', do you thrive from the feeling of watching me being subjected to tests from your 'boss'?"

"The one with the nice ass and notable cleavage? No, I don't thrive on the feeling, but let me tell you this ET, the-"

"'Doctor'."

"Me? No time to be interrupting, ET." House's metaphors could be hilarious sometimes, but quite insulting at most occasions.

"No, I don't prefer to be called ET. I know what that means, and I've seen the movie. To be honest, it was one of the worst portrayals of aliens I've ever-"

"Worst portrayal? That alien could follow jelly beans and blend in to a stack of teddy bears where as you can do neither. So I suggest you let me continue… " House peered outside the door and saw the security guard giving him a threatening glance over towards his part. "Now, 'ET', if you think the 'tests' have already started, then you're far from being correct. Once the specialists and the CDC get in here, there's no turning back. You're stuck here, which is why I've come to talk to you now."  
Without hesitation, he reached into his pocket and popped the cap off his pill canister; threw some on his hand and swallowed them in haste.

Trying to ignore the fact that House had a fixation with his pills, the Doctor tried to focus on the bigger picture. "You're going to get me out of here? That doesn't sound like something you'd normally try."

House leant on his cane, and for a moment the Doctor could have sworn a smirk appeared on his face. "No, it doesn't. But this isn't exactly a 'normal' situation."

"Couldn't you get fired from that 'Cuddy' woman who told me I can't leave?"

"Nah, technically she's fired me more then once although it's never official. If I had a vicodin for every time she told me I was fired…Well, It'd be _one_ interesting day at work."

"So you're just going to walk out beside me and escort me to the front door? A little risky, don't you think?" The Doctor was always known for his keen insight and ideas, but he seemed to be lacking them at the moment.

"Risky, but worth it. Although, if I do help you escape…" House trailed off, implying that he wanted something out of it.

"You want a ride in the TARDIS?"

This took House by surprise. "Well actually, I wanted a closet full of the girls from the latest Playboy but that will do… Curious, but how did you know that's what I wanted?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't have a clue as to how many humans ask for a ride in the TARDIS. That's one of the reasons why I tend to keep my secret a _secret_. That, and the fact that I don't want to end up on a 21st century dissecting table. Believe it or not, this century would have to be one of the riskiest time periods for an alien to travel to. You're a race with potential, and soon that potential will come forth but just need to give it time…"

"Where'd you read that out of? A cheesy brochure you hand out to time travellers and aliens passing by?" House leant on his cane, a keen look of snark in his eye.

"Not exactly, but generally if the Earth is in danger from an impending alien race, I tend to give a speech along that lines. Either that, or I use a few lines out of the Lion King. _But, _no time for flashbacks." The Doctor thought for a moment, and nodded. "Fine, 'one' ride in the TARDIS in exchange for you 'getting me out of here', but that's only if you get me out of here."

"Agreed, but before we go – Do you have all your 'other-worldly possessions?"

"Let's see…" The Doctor shuffled around through his pyjama pockets and grinned. "Sonic screwdriver, TARDIS key, psychic paper… And-"He reached down and picked up his goop-ridden pile of clothes. "And clothes."

"Allons-y! Off we go!" The Doctor said proudly, and he walked alongside the crippled House as they made their way out of the door.

"Hey! He's not supposed to leave!" Yelled a voice from down the corridor.

_First lot of trouble… 'Brilliant'_

**Authors note: Ah! Will Wilson prove to Cuddy that he's not insane? Will the Doctor escape? Will House get that TARDIS ride he deserves? And where in the name of Plainsboro are the ducklings? Next chapter coming up soon! **


	14. Flights of fantasies

_(House and the Doctor)_

"Get him!"

"You! _Stay right where you are!"_ Voices sounded loudly from the depths of the corridor, where two men had come into plain view; that seemed to be sporting some kind of authoritarian uniform.

_"Oh 'brilliant'_..." The Doctor made no hesitation as to shove his goop-ridden possessions firmly under his arm. "See, this is one of the many reasons that attribute to me disliking hospitals. I just get _all _the attention?"

"_Right." _House couldn't care less. "It's all about you isn't it? Let's say for the fact that we do happen to get to the 'ship'."

"TARDIS."

House, not appearing keen on being corrected and interrupted, shot the Doctor a dishevelled look, and leant on his cane, trying to so desperately to ignore the pain shooting back up his thigh. "_Ship_. _How _exactly do you expect to 'get' past the CDC? Who 'might I add', want to poke and prod around inside you for as long as they see fit..."

"Easy." Raising his right forearm towards one of the many corridor lights with the sonic screwdriver in his spare hand, he activated the blue light and sent a series of small explosions in series of falling sparks towards the two men, who immediately shielded their eyes with their arms and fell onto their knees, huddling and defending their bodies from the falling shower of sparks.

House couldn't help but smirk at the hospital property being damaged, and he pictured Cuddy having an angry fit about the CDC running to her, crying over spoilt milk as it were. But he snapped back and took note of the opportunity that the Doctor had forced into the situation. They had a _distraction._

"You know, for a Brit' that was actually...Mean. And who was I to think that the English were all smiles and tea parties?" House couldn't help himself. Wherever there was a sarcastic and snarky comment to be made, he was there with his mouth ready to go. He was an arrogant ass. And he enjoyed every single moment of it.

"Time Lord with a British accent actually; now RUN!" Without a second thought, the Doctor latched his hand firmly onto the sleeved arm of Gregory House, and well aware of his disability he continued to pull him along anyway. The guy needed that extra help for speed, and the Doctor didn't have time to wait for the old kook to limp along. He was holding him back a _little _bit, but fortunately they were still making a decent pace. "It's still in the car park...At least, it'd better be."

"I _think _we've lost them. But today I'm going to give you a term that might be foreign to you, and that term is 'cripple'. I have a _cane_, and therefore running usually isn't on my daily agenda. Get me?"  


House stumbled and staggered as he felt himself being pulled along by the Doctor; desperate on getting out of here, and his need for freedom seemed to overthrow the realization that House indeed could not handle this physical exertion.

"I _realise _that." His footsteps struggled to quicken, and when they entered the elevator the door shut and for a few moments they were granted some guaranteed privacy.  
"I also realise that I have...No wait, _n_eed to get out of here. I'll grant you a ride in the TARDIS as I promised before, but you know as well as I do that when authoritarian figures such as the CDC get involved, things get a _little _harder to overcome."

Gregory House narrowed his eyes and gave him a look that said 'do I even care', but secretly, deep down inside and almost subconsciously he did care, he just wouldn't express his sub-feelings publicly. He was going to retort with a witty and well thought out argument, but the over exertion had really caused the pain in his leg to flare up drastically. His hand ran down and clutched the muscle on his thigh, which then found its way into his pocket and pulled out a small orange canister. He flipped the lid off desperately, and popped down two vicodin pills with ease, having had a large degree of skill and practice built up over the duration of his addiction. Although the pills couldn't work _that _fast, they tended to have a placebo effect on his mind; which almost instantly dulled the pain.

"You know... I could fix that." The Doctor said, taking note of the pain. "Well, not me personally... But if we travelled to a point in time which _could_, that'd be easy."

House almost couldn't believe what he had just heard. Today, he had discovered that aliens indeed existed; he had been inside the magnificent structure of the TARDIS and he had even almost witnessed the wrath of the CDC, but to him; the ideals of the disappearance of his pain almost appeared _impossible_ by any means. "What?"

_Ding_

"Bottom floor! Excellent! Allons-y!" The Doctor grabbed hold of House again and literally yanked him out onto the same floor that the Clinic was located on. A few doctors and nurses that had been walking past chatted amongst themselves while subtly pointing at the maverick genius and the eccentric Time Lord who limped and ran out the doors.

"Oh brilliant! _Utterly brilliant!"_ The Doctor exclaimed, taking in the beauty of the...Car Park.

Still, it was freedom. And freedom is as freedom was, and to the Doctor he took in every single moment of it. His TARDIS was still standing there, comically parked beside a car. The Doctor could almost hear the TARDIS welcoming him back, having been waiting for him for so long. "I'm back old girl..." He murmured quietly to himself, but even that got an eye roll from House.

"Yes. It's 'brilliant'..." House garbled, yet he felt excited. He was actually going back inside the alien craft, and he was going to be witnessing another time. "Just how long will we be gone exactly? I've got a hooker waiting. She has a thing for older guys with bummed legs that you can _apparently _fix..."  


"We could be gone for years and we'd get back here we could get back a minute after we had left. _Although_, I did have a mix-up once with a previous companion; turns out we ended up getting back 12 months later, as opposed to 12 hours. Needless to say, Jackie was _not _happy..." He laughed, reminiscing on the past memories.

_I wonder how Jackie is anyway. Or Rose._

God I miss Rose.

"And what if I need to call somebody? Or doesn't your 'ship' get good phone coverage?" House said, waving around his phone in the Doctor's face. "If the _Queen of Ice _happens to call, I'm unfortunately obligated to answer. You never know when she's going to start flaunting her other 'talents' as a phone-sex operator." Another joke; but he just couldn't help himself.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and shuffled around his pocket for the key, which he quickly grabbed and jerked it into the hole of the TARDIS lock. A _click _was heard, and then he pulled open the handles of the doors which revealed the extensive interior of the foreign ship inside. Complete with towering columns, hospitable chairs and the other-worldly central core that made it all happen. A low grumble osculated through the walls of the ship, which led the Doctor to crack a toothy grin. "I'm home old girl!" He grinned, patting the walls of his ship and gesturing House to step inside.

House on the other hand, still hadn't taken in the brilliance of the TARDIS in full. Although he _believed _it to be there, he was still taking into account the Vicodin pills, and the fact that hallucinogenic episodes were possible in experiencing side effects. His blue eyes scanned the interior as he stood outside, but slowly he pressed the weight on his cane and took a limped step inside, running his hand along the doors to acknowledge their presence and existence. "Hallucination wouldn't happen this vividly...But then again, that time I got _shot _disproved that." He grumbled, taking another stunted step and closing the doors behind him. Whatever happened from now, he was in the Doctor's hands. The hospital may have been where House played his games, but the Doctor's TARDIS was foreign to him; it was new and House still had to get used to all this.

"I can see you're still not that convinced..." The Doctor grinned, trying to hold back a laugh. "One would that that a man such as you would have overcome the culture shook ages ago... I had this girl on here a while back... "He paused, trying to hold back the emotional waterfall that came when referring to Rose. "And sure, she got a 'bit' shocked, but she still accepted the TARDIS' existence after the first few minutes at the most, and –"

"Your friend was an _idiot_." House grumbled. "Everybody lies, and that includes hallucinations."

"Oh brilliant! You _still _think you're hallucinating? After all you've seen and experienced?" The Doctor scoffed in a bewildered and frazzled manner. "You're kidding me right?"

"That's exactly why I'm taking into account that this is nothing but a mere hallucination. Everything that's unfolded is beyond all reasoning and understanding, and judging from my increased vicodin intake this is either drug induced or I've been shot again. You're merely a figment of my clearly 

troubled mind, and when you suggested that you could take away the pain from my leg I figured that was my subconscious reaching out and offering me something that I want. On the soap I watch, there's a British character, which is where you've obviously been based on by my mind, and as for the phone box... I think I saw something like it on the Antiques Road show..." He explained with a cold smirk. "So as much as I would like to believe that ET is flying around in a tripped out phone box, I have to focus on years of experience with 'tripping out', so –"

"THIS IS NOT A BLOODY HALLUCINATION!" The Doctor yelled, approaching the eccentric doctor with a disapproving look. "This is real! Everything! Every single bleeding bit of it and you can either choose to live with your paranoia or you can open your eyes and finally realise that there's more to the world and the universe than what you simply see before you. Aliens exist, humans exist, the Time Lords once existed and even _magic _exists in a sense; not literally but most certainly scientifically!" He argued, having enough of Houses' scepticism. "You're _ridiculous_? You know that right? You save lives, and you make people happy, yet you're so miserable inside you ignore life, and focus on your miseries. You strive in perfecting your skills of manipulation and your snark, but for once could you just set that aside and _believe?_ I am real. This is real. You are standing in the ship that is reminiscent of a race that once stood tall, but now has been lost to the flames of the Time War..."

House kept silent for a moment, and to take his mind and his weight off his leg, he sat down on one of the accommodating chairs and laid his cane across his lap.

"It could be."

"I don't care if it could be! It's not! And it never will be! Rose-"Don't_ get emotional, not now. _"Rose could take this in. She wasn't a doctor, or a scientist but she trusted her instincts. Why can't you trust yours..."

With that, the Doctor shook his head slowly and approached the Central core of the TARDIS, lowering his head as he clutched the 'handbrake' of his ship.

_It has to be the vicodin talking. I've been shot. I've been bludgeoned over the head. A hooker's doped my drink perhaps? But my experiences... They're incredibly vivid._

It has to be real.

_This is all... Real._

_I'm in an alien ship._

_With an ALIEN._

"I'm sorry for your loss." Odd thing to say, especially coming out of his mouth, but it was the only thing he could think of.

This caught the Doctor quite by surprise, but he refused to stifle a slight smile. "It was a long time ago...But, thanks." _These emotional moments are awkward, but I'm sure he feels the same. Time to lighten the mood._

_  
_"So! Where to?" He forced a grin on his face, and began to activate the central core. "France in 1776; the planet of Barcelona..."

"I thought Barcelona was in Spain." House stated.

"It is, but it's also a planet. And a _nice _one at that; or we could go to New Earth." The Doctor laughed, punching in a few coordinates.

House on the other hand, was a tad curious at the name choice. "_New _Earth? What happened to this one?"

"Oh... Ageing mostly. A little bit of this and a little bit of that and eventually you have New New New New new...Well, New York." He smirked. "So! New Earth it is! Also, consider this payback for everything you've done."

"And what's in New Earth? And how far ahead are we talking? Or is this some cheap gimmick for an amusement park with Wilson as the main attraction for the freak show?"

The Doctor gave a half-hearted smile and leant against the control-panel as he punched, twisted and hit the last of the commands into the TARDIS moments before the central core began to grind and shift into action, which seemed to catch Houses' attention to become perplexed and intrigued by the unique action.

"How far ahead?" The Doctor beamed a grin. "Far, _far ahead_ my friend."

"And what's in New Earth?" The grin became that little bit wider.

"An answer to a cane-less future."

_  
(Meanwhile, Chase, Foreman and Cameron in the Diagnostic Room)_

"It's been _how _long now?" Chase yawned, his elbow resting on the table.

"Clock says it's been about forty minutes max. Do you think we should go in and see what's going on?" Cameron sighed, feeling slightly guilty about the whole situation. It was her fault that the CDC had gotten involved, and no doubt House was majorly pissed. But what could she do about it? What's done has been done. And moping about it wasn't going to change the situation in the slightest.

"I think you've done enough Cameron. "Foreman snapped back. "If it weren't for you, Wilson wouldn't have had to go and talk some sense into Cuddy. What _exactly _were you thinking? Didn't you even consider the implications of what was going to happen if you let this slip to the Hospital Administrator? There's a reason why House doesn't give every little detail to-"



"I think she gets it!" Chase was getting tired of Foreman bantering on about all his little complaints. "But she did what we were all afraid to do. If she hadn't done it I probably would have, or you for that matter. She was right. We're dealing with an alien life form..." He muttered, shaking his head and placing both hands on the table. "The CDC shouldn't be here. Fifty news crews plus the FBI, the CIA and the National Guard should be here."

"They should...But they're not. And this situation is as messed up as it could be for the moment, so really... Can we all just drop who we should blame and can we focus on the _now?" _ Cameron groaned, resting her head on her hand. "Which raises the question again, where's House?"

"Off with the patient."

"For this long?"

"Apparently so..." Foreman muttered.

Chase slid his chair back and stood up. "I'm going to go look for him. If he gets back, just tell him 'bathroom'..." And with that, he was out the door, leaving the two other doctors to bicker amongst themselves.

Nobody knew where or what House was currently doing, but they couldn't possibly imagine it either. Granted, the four doctors had witnessed the beauty of the TARDIS, but even they wouldn't even consider the possibility that House was riding in the beast right now. Travelling to another point in time and viewing the vast expanse of the universe and the time-line that was yet to happen.

If only they knew...

**Authors Note: Oh dear, how the time has flown. I dearly apologize for this chapter being so delayed. But here it is! And expect more posts to come in the future! Remember, please send reviews! Reviews mean more chapters! :D And also, will House be free of his pain? What is going to happen back at the hospital with the CDC? And will Wilson be able to provide proof for Cuddy with the TARDIS being gone?**

Stay tuned! And thank you for sticking by me!


	15. CDC, Snark and Situations with Cuddy

(Wilson and the CDC)

"You have _got _to be kidding me..."

_No, no this cannot be happening; it was here! I saw it, I went INSIDE it._

I-  


Wilson couldn't believe it. Not only was the TARDIS gone from where it had once been parked, but now he had a bigger problem resting on his shoulder. No proof.

Absolutely no proof and he had about 20 to 30 minutes to get back to Cuddy's office where he was supposed to have the key in his pocket – Ready to present to the boss so that the proof of all things other-worldly and extraterrestrial could be proven to his boss. Just how exactly was he going to do this? The Doctor had obviously found a way out and run free into the depths of space and time, yet Wilson had found it rather peculiar that he hadn't noticed House on his way down to the car park.

"Maybe House knows..." He grumbled, plunging his hand inside his pocket and pulling out his i-Phone; which House had placed his eye on for some time now. His fingers actively but lightly breezed the surface of the screen and in seconds the call to House was being made. For a moment, he could have sworn that the device was beginning to dial and he eagerly waited on end for the wondrous sound of a dial tone echoing through his phone. Unfortunately however, he got a nasty shock when the phone failed to dial and instead returned back to the original menu on the screen, along with a message that said:

**Unable to Connect.  
Contact may be out of service area.**

"Oh ho-ho..." He chuckled weakly, giving a light laugh suggesting that his laughter comprised of nothing but defeat and pure anguish. He didn't even need to work out where House was, it just all made sense after he put two and two together.

The cantankerous old bastard had run off with the Doctor, and he had been privileged enough to ride in the ship. Why else would House be missing, and his phone be out of the service area. Even if he were in Australia, he'd get at least _some _sort of a signal. So now Wilson had a greater problem on his hands; how to assure Cuddy that his claims were indeed true despite the lack of proof, and where House had run to despite the fact that his clinic hours were mounting up in promises, and his potential cases mounting up in piles of files on his desk.

But _oh no,_ the problems didn't stop there.

"YOU!" A gruff and clearly puffed out voice echoed from the Clinic entrance, belonging to a man dressed in some sort of uniform who appeared to be followed by another man of the same occupation.  


"Me?" Wilson glanced around, even taking the time to look behind him to check if he was the one they were referring to, but unfortunately they wanted him.

"Yes you!" The other grunted amidst the coughing and spluttering he was doing from the over-exertion he had performed during the Chase. For a cripple and a patient those two could _run_.

"Don't suppose you've seen two men run by here?"

"Well, we get patients running back and forth all the time..." Wilson tapped his foot nervously on the ground, and although he hadn't _seen _House and the Doctor make a break for the exit and into the car park, the two guys from the CDC practically confirmed his theory as to where House had gone.

With the Doctor of course.

"One is by the name Gregory House. Middle aged; enjoys endangering hospital patients and has a problem with following hospital protocol. Has a limp, always carries a cane and is slightly unshaven." The man said, reading off of a file that he was forced to carry around for the sake of identification. "Other man, possibly in his early thirties, carries a British accent and is carrying around a small pile of clothes ridden in purple sludge. We _know _for a fact that they came out the Clinic doors, so we ask you again. Have you _seen_ these two men?"

Wilson had to think for a moment. He hadn't seen them, but he knew the reason behind their disappearance. "No." He shook his head. "I walked out here to get to my car, but in all honestly the only odd thing I saw was a guy on an electric wheelchair flooring it towards the clinic while being chased by a lady in her older years screaming bloody murder." He inspected the badge that each worker held on their uniform, and that's when his face dropped.

_The CDC._

They're already here.

Oh-ho ho! Just fantastic!

"For the sake of fulfilling my curiosity, may I happen to ask why you're after these two men? Did they attack any of the patients?" He inquired, even though he knew the answer; well, part of it anyway.

The man who had been wheezing before caught his breath and regained some composure while answering the question. "The patient known as 'John Smith' isn't legally allowed to leave the hospital. He hasn't been formally discharged and when we were informed of this patient in question, we were sent unique and concerning test results that could suggest the possibility of an air-borne virus or toxin. We need him in isolation until we can determine just what we're dealing with here." He narrowed his brown eyes at the anxious James Wilson, who currently felt like he was being interrogated now. "The other man known as House has aided in the escape of the patient, and by 

doing so he has created a potential risk on the general public in spreading a possible disease. We just want to contain this, find out all we can and if he doesn't pose a risk then he's free to go. But under CDC jurisdiction we just can't let protocol _fly_. Not our policy I'm afraid."

"Exactly, so are you _sure _you haven't seen them?" The other questioned, keen on getting some sort of an answer.

"NO! If I had, I would tell you guys. Clearly I missed them, but your best bet is down the road and on the left side there should be a little Mexican takeout spot. I've heard a few rumours that House likes to escape there when the Hospital Administrator is chasing him up for clinic hours. So your best bet is there... "

_Oh god.  
I LIED.  
I can lie to my mom. I can lie to my wife.  
But to the CDC?  
T his could be Tritter all over again...  
_

The two men glanced at each other, thoroughly intrigued at the possible location and they nodded. "Alright... We'll scout there. But any sign of those men and you call us alright?" The guy handed over a card, and then they were off in the opposite direction; eagerly hunting down House and the Doctor who had escaped from their sight. Two fugitives as it were, and he happened to know both.

_I suppose that makes me an accomplice then.  
Being friends with House certainly has a catch.  
I really need a life._

_And new friends..._

For what seemed like an eternity, Wilson stood there contemplating his next move. Run back to Cuddy? Or just leave an embarrassing text on her phone describing his failure to achieve any form of proof that led to the existence of alien kind. "I'd better just go tell her..." He sighed; turning on his heel and trudging painfully back to the Clinic with his head hung low in shame.

_Maybe the mental ward would be my best option? Might explain why I put up with House..._

(House and the Doctor)

"CAN'T YOU FLY THIS THING ANY SMOOTHER?!" House yelled over the roaring sound of the grinding foundation of the TARDIS while gripping for dear life onto the back of the chair he was sitting on. His cane went tumbling off his lap, and cluttered down to the other end of the circular floor as the TARDIS tossed and turned down one of the many tunnels in space and time. "Oh shit. My cane..."  


The Doctor on the other hand, was having a jolly old time darting back and forth between each control; twisting knobs, yanking levers and whacking buttons big and small with his comical looking hammer. "Sometimes, there's just a-"

"WHAT?" House yelled. He had ALOT to get used to when it came to universal flight.

"I SAID- SOMETIMES THERE'S JUST A LITTLE TURBULENCE. YOU GET USED TO IT!" He yelled, while throwing a laugh in between. He found this _funny_, and there was no way he was stopping his old girl now. Thrusting it into another gear, the ship tumbled around but it suddenly stabilized and came to a gentle and passive halt. "We...We've landed. New York to the power of 15...Here we are." His hand ran through his hair that had ruffled up a bit during the harsh turbulence they experienced mid-vortex flight. Although, he had never experienced what it was like to have a good hair day.

And he wanted ginger hair.

"Hey, I heard Al-Kida was looking for pilots. I think you'd be _perfect _for the job." House muttered as he slipped out of his chair and painfully limped for his cane, which he gladly picked up and lifted his weight off his damaged thigh.

"Ha-ha. Very funny..." The Doctor poked out his tongue and headed towards the door, but stopped right before he placed his hands on the handles and he spun around; stopping House in his tracks. "But first..." He mused, holding out his index finger and waggling it at House. "Ground rules. And by ground rules, I mean rules you have to follow."

"I may not be used to smart-assed _aliens _that can't measure up to ET and his jelly-bean following services, but I do realise what _rules _mean. So hurry up already..." His fingers tapped impatiently on his cane.

"Firstly, although your doctors know about the existence of me and the TARDIS and so forth, you are _not _to mention any of this to anybody when you return. Whatever medical procedure you may encounter, do not disrupt the doctors, do _not _take part in it yourself and for heaven's sakes, do NOT antagonize the patients."

"Antagonize. _Me_?" House pouted and gave a childish look, not appearing to care.

The Doctor shot him a bemused expression. "I'm serious House."

"Serious? Oh that's rich, coming from a guy who thinks that 'little' turbulence involves a few broken necks and another leg for the already-crippled cripple to limp on."

"Ugh.. Alright, moving on to rule number two." The Doctor groaned, shaking his head.

_Perhaps I should have just packed up and left that century for GOOD._



_Oh well. I guess he did save my life and all.  
I do owe him that much...  
And I guess having a bit of company around here is good after all..._

"You are NOT to wander off by yourself at any time. It's a new century, there are new rules and things have_ changed_. And...Don't be too shocked when you see some of the different _cultures _that are there."

"Yes _mom_." House poked an even more immature face than before, and poked out his tongue. "I have to warn you, tentacles and three eyes make me as horny as a stallion on Viagra. Will that be a problem? Or will I have to blindfold myself when I walk through the hospital?" He was due for a sarcastic half-assed comment, so there it was.

"What. You're _serious_?" The Doctor didn't quite get the joke at first, but after House shot him the look of a five year old on speed, he shook his head again and mentally slapped himself. "I'm _just saying_, things have changed...You might be used to my image, but when you see some of the nurses you'll understand why."

"Do they have tentacles and-"

"DROP IT!" The Doctor bellowed, which actually caused House to blink and stay silent... For about 2 seconds.

"Fine, any more rules I'll eventually disobey? Oh wait, wasn't meant to say that part." House said with as much sarcasm as he could possibly achieve.

"No. That's it, although you're not to take anything either. And remember, you get _one _trip. Only _one_; got that?"

"One... This is the number of wives Wilson surpassed years ago, so I should be able to remember that." It was bad enough that House harassed Wilson by publicly humiliating him by simply being his friend, but now he was resorting to making cracks about him behind his back. The joys of being a narcissistic and egotistical maverick diagnostician with a metaphorical ten foot pole lodged firmly up his arse.

"Now, can we _go 'mommy'?"_

"Follow me. And as thanks for getting me out of that place, you'll eventually be leaving that cane behind." The Doctor beamed, loving that feeling when he was able to give something back. Even if it meant giving that back to the equivalent of the antichrist himself.

As the two stepped out of the TARDIS, the doors swung shut behind them and House couldn't help but hang his mouth open (as much as he could without attracting attention to himself) at the brilliance of the scenery surrounding them. It appeared as though they had landed in some sort of field, where the grass was as green as the paint stain on his shoe – Courteously provided by one of the many clinic patients, with his particular one having sneezed green patient on his shoe after 

shoving it up his nose earlier on in the day. Normally he'd just pass this off as kids being annoying little mistakes that deserved a good spanking from their parents, but this wasn't a kid. It was a 56 year old man that seemed to believe that green paint lodged up the nose was good 'karma'.

A brilliant apple-scented aroma filled the air, and the sky was a brilliant blue with the most natural looking clouds floating in the heavens above. Further to the north was a city with skyscrapers that were reaching up the sky itself, that were architecturally sculpted to fit a slim, slender and smooth shape; almost flawless in their design. "So this is what the future is like." He mused, his hand running over the unshaven stubble on his chin.

"One of the _many _possible futures actually, although it depends what time you go, and what planet. This just happens to be one of my personal favourites... And I've been back and forth here before."

Before House could open his mouth to speak, he practically lunged right onto the grass as a ship flew overhead and soared gracefully towards the city. Luckily for him, the Doctor grabbed his arm and held him stable but House brushed him off when he regained some composure. "Don't grab me. I'm disabled, not in-able to 'not' fall..." He grumbled, putting the pressure on his cane.  
"So we going or what?"

"Yeah, follow me. The hospital is right by the ocean. Right over _there_." The Doctor pointed to the magnificent structure on the hill, with a big red cross symbolising its function. "There she is, so hurry."

After mumbling something crude incoherently to himself, House hobbled alongside his 'friend', but to his surprise the fresh open air and the change of scenery actually seemed rather serene and tranquil in contrast with the busy and eventful vista that was the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. The grass was green, the sky was blue and the waters were as gentle and didn't appear to be treacherous at all. In fact, _everything _about this place was perfect. Nothing seemed out of line and even though House wanted to find something negative to jabber on about, he couldn't find anything.

Not a single thing.

"I can see you're still taking it all in." The Doctor chuckled. "Culture shock; happens to the best of us."

"_Yeah_, well when you've lived on the same planet for your entire life, it tends to do that to you." House quietly protested, falling a little behind so that he was shuffling behind the Doctor. "Does pollution even exist in this century? Or is it hidden out back?"

"Doesn't exist, but you have to remember that this is _far, far _ahead. So there's a bit of waiting required unfortunately."

House shoved his free hand in his pocket as they neared the entrance of the hospital. "So do we just 'walk in?'"  


"Yeah why wouldn't-"But he didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence. House was limping furiously towards the front doors, which stylishly opened with a smooth _whoosh _and revealed the futuristic and pristine interior of the hospital.

But then House saw it.

He saw THEM.

Everywhere.

And he dropped his cane from the sight.

"Oh my God." 

(Cameron and Cuddy)

With Chase off in one direction and Foreman off in the other, and the patient and House nowhere to be found, Cameron was left to go to the one place that she had sworn not to return to.

Cuddy. 

_I just have to remember, I'm not here to snitch. I'm not here to have an argument but I just want to get some lee-way on what is going on here..._

Her hands placed on the doors and she heaved them open in a swift movement, which seized Cuddy's attention. She had obviously been expecting someone, but she seemed to be slightly disappointed when Cuddy had personally established that it wasn't Wilson.

"Sexual harassment complaints go forwarded through the mail." Cuddy stated, but she rolled her eyes and gestured to the seat. "Just kidding, take a seat. What do you need?"

Cameron hesitantly took a chair, and twiddled her thumbs apprehensively.  
"I wanted to talk about House."

Cuddy's face dropped, and she shook her head. "I'm not calling off the CDC. The case has been formally taken off our hands and the patient-"

"Is gone. "

"What?" Cuddy stopped and shook her head. "I'm sorry, did you just say our patient was _missing_?"

"Not just the patient. House is gone, but you would have found that out anyway so that's not why 

I'm here. And- Please don't contact them; the CDC is already aware because I got a page from Foreman saying that he saw them running out of the Clinic and interviewing a few people as they went along." She sighed. "So just hear me out; I _know _what House did was wrong but can you really blame him? For once in his life he's trying to set things right and you know as well as I do that it's wrong to keep the patient here like he's a prisoner."

"He could be carrying a lethal virus, AND House always does everything against hospital protocol."

"But can you honestly sit there and say that you think what the CDC is doing is _right? _The tests we did-"

"Were inconclusive because his blood chemistry wasn't like anything we had seen before, and it we can't test it properly we have no way of knowing what he could be carrying." Cuddy seemed determined to go with what she thought was best.

"The tests we did didn't give any indication of an infection. You're not doing this because you think he's sick, you're doing this because you know that he's not like us..." Cameron said, her eyes practically snapping open. "When I presented this information to you to begin with, you actually seemed reluctant to contact the CDC because initially it was _my _idea. So obviously somebody has said something to you about him. Something I left out."

_Wilson.  
It has to be him.  
House sent him to talk to her, and obviously he bit off more than he could chew._

"Cameron." Cuddy said smoothly. "Initially you came to me and your intentions were pure. You were concerned for the safety of this hospital and at the time I didn't want to contact the CDC because their intervention could tarnish this hospital's reputation and the doctor's in it. But when I thought about it, infection or not we could be looking at one of three things. A completely new genetic condition, a new type of infection or a new species." 

"Did you just say-"

"I know what I said. I know it sounds absurd but it's a possibility. And if there's even a shred of a chance that this man could be what I've been told that he is, then don't you think that limiting this discovery to ourselves would be selfish to everyone else? To the entire _human race_?"

For once, Cameron kept her mouth shut and stared blankly out the window. She knew that Cuddy had just proven a point, and it had been a constant argument that had been jabbering on at the back of her mind for some time now. Cuddy was _right. _An alien was an alien, and a discovery was a discovery. Keeping this to themselves was selfish, and was in fact holding back the human race.

"I know you want to stand up for House. I know that you care for the welfare of this patient, but he could either be the carrier of an infection that knows no boundaries, or the greatest damned thing 

that has ever happened to the human race."

"I...Can't say I disagree OR agree with you there. But I guess I just came in here to say that this isn't Houses' fault, and the patient isn't just some lab rat. He has a name, a home and two hearts. I made a mistake, and I'm trying to rectify that, and you should too."

Cameron didn't say another word, and getting up from her chair she stormed out the door; leaving a speechless Cuddy sitting at her desk with a pile of paperwork and documents that needed to be sorted.

_I'll never understand how that woman can be so attached to House.  
_

**Authors note: WOW! So many reviews for that last chapter. You guys are honestly brilliant fans: D I love you! So I hope you like this chapter! Wilson suffering under the non-existent hands of House and the meddling noses of the CDC; more snark from the old self-absorbed bastard and a heated interaction between Cuddy and Cameron.**

Remember folks! More reviews equal MORE CHAPTERS :D But either way you'd get a chapter anyway! Ha ha! So stay tuned for more chapters! And feel free to suggest plot suggestions ect. Because you never know when I might add them in there!

Cheers. From the Aussie Author. :D _  
_




	16. Kitty

"Cats."

"Now if you'll just let me-"

"_Cats?!" _Jaw-slack and frozen to the spot, the middle-aged man's eyes bulged from the sheer sight of...Of them. And why were they dressed like that? Were they human with feline faces? Or cats with human bodies? Or maybe this _was _the vicodin. Maybe all this wasn't real?

"Well I know how it looks but-"

"CATS!" House interjected with a feeble laugh, although the nerves were evident in his outburst. "What is this? Planet of the cats? Did the apes give up the fight and the kitties take over? Where's Garfield? I'm half-expecting him to leap out from the shadows..." He leant on his cane, feeling his legs go slightly limp from the sheer fright of it all.

Gregory House didn't get scared.  
Not like this.  
Accepting the truth of alien life was one thing, but was this an honest-to-God joke?

He furrowed his brow and impatiently tapped his foot on the pristine tiled floor while his mind began to reason with the circumstances at hand. He was in a futuristic hospital, with a duo-cardio inclined human-looking alien. And best of all, it was run by cats! "I don't suppose I'm going to have to learn the Kitty-Meow Language 101 Syllabus?" He uttered, sarcastically of course. No matter how insane the situation was, there was no way he'd drop his guard and become 'open' and 'soft'. No chance in hell, and he wasn't about to let the Doctor take the upper hand over him; because in Houses' eyes he was homo-superior here. Not this...This generic human imitation that couldn't handle a smidgen of Earth-Orientated medication.

"Ok. Now _that _was rude." The Doctor seized his head with his hand and then slid it casually through his tattered hair, reminiscing on his personal battle with 

why he had even decided to bring this antagonizing and ignorant maverick along for the ride.

_Had to pay him back for the favour... I'll just keep telling myself that._

"Things evolve; things change...Things grow and flourish into beings that are far superior to their predecessors. They're cats, but they've come a long way from being your average house pet." The Time Lord was aware that this wouldn't be easy for a man of such intellect for his time to accept this...This miracle in the process of evolution. Sure, to most evolution was common knowledge, but out of all the beings to obtain a superior humanoid form...Cats weren't entirely at the top of the list for expected advanced evolution.

"They're like you and me. They walk, they talk, they think, have relationships, fall in love, have kids...Humans and cats co-exist among other things but you'd be surprised how far they've advanced the human race. To you it seems like an impossibility..But-"

"Impossibility?" House shot the Doctor a sour look. "Listen 'Clock Lord'..."

"_Time_ Lord."

"**Clock** Lord, I may be but a Diagnostician from the 'primitive' 21st century, where cats still reach down to lick their own balls...But I do believe in a little simplicity called 'Evolution'..." He pressed further down on his cane as he attempted to shift the weight off his leg. "Now, to you cats might seem like superior beings that run hospitals, but to me they will always be our fabled feline friends kicking the dirt over poop in the backyard."  
A satisfied smirk reallocated onto the Diagnosticians face, having felt a wave of victory over the aging Time Lord, but the Doctor wasn't going to simply 'give up' on the argument in question.

"One moment..." The Doctor wiped his aggravated expression off his face and sprung his hand up in the air when noticing one of the nurses walk in their general direction. "Nurse! Could I borrow you for a moment?"



The nurse who happened to see the Doctor flailing his hand up in the air, nodded slowly and gave a graceful smile as she ambled over to the two guests. "Of course, is there anything I can do for you two gentlemen?"

House wouldn't admit it, but his facial features gave the indication that he was actually surprised by the way the woman...Or in this case, 'cat', spoke. Her voice was soothing, gentle and sounded as feminine as a woman he knew. Cameron, always putting too much care and pathetic empathetic emotions into dying patients...Which House somewhat admired, he just wouldn't trade his curiosity for the truth with a simple empathetic feeling that he felt would ruin his diagnostic nature.

The 'cat woman' also appeared young, and if it weren't for the ginger tabby fur, the feline features and the noticeable whiskers extruding out from her cheeks, he could have sworn that this was some kind of future-freak Cameron descendent who had somehow merged with a cat. Or evolved...But the thought of Cameron or a descendent of her 'mating' with a cat (no matter how evolved) disturbed him, but before he could dwell more on the subject the Doctor's voice broke his train of thought.

"Yes! Thank you!" The Doctor's face extended into a wide smile and he almost bounced on the spot. "Well, I apologize for taking you away from your job, but I was just wondering if you could tell my acquaintance here what your job is at the hospital!"

"Most certainly." Such a sweet voice from such a grotesque face, but was it really that grotesque? Just different, but Houses' mind was in a state of 'what the f# was that?' So it was safe to say he didn't know what to think right now. "Here at the hospital we provide the best care to our patients by administering medicines among other things and-"

"I know what a nurse does..." House grumbled, but upon noticing the slightly curved from the nurse, he rolled his eyes and lifted his own frown to a smile. "Sorry, I'm a doctor. I hate being told what I already know..."

"Oh." The nurse paused, but her frown quickly turned upside down. "No 

worries then! What hospital do you work at?" Her grin revealed the two tiny little fangs that House found himself staring at for a brief moment, but before he could open his mouth to answer he felt the Doctor press his hands on his arms and put pressure against him, trying to shove him along.  
"Well look at the time! Thankyou Dearly Nurse...Farrow!" Darn, those nametags were so small. "I apologize for the crudeness of my friend. Has a horrible bedside manner, but allon-sy! We're off!"

House stumbled along as he helped his cane find the end of the ground while he regained his balance, and he limped along through the incredibly spacious entrance of what appeared to be the futuristic equivalent of the Clinic Administration, and he hadn't even _seen _any indication of an Examination Room yet. He could only imagine what surgery was like here or even if patients needed invasive surgery at all...  
"So...You going to take me on a whole tour? Or are we just staying in the 'Clinic', because there'd better be a futuristic version of Cuddy here because her ass could only live on through the generations..." He couldn't help but grin at his own joke, feeling proud of his smorgasbord of jokes relating solely to Cuddy's curvaceous posterior. "You might have seen it in your 'TARDIS'. Has its own orbit and everything..." He chuckled.

"Nice to here, BUT do you remember when I said earlier on that eventually you wouldn't need your cane anymore?"

House walk lamely beside the Doctor, but rather then crack another joke about the voluptuous ass that spawned every joke he had to offer, he nodded slowly.

"Well...Consider this my gift to you for helping me get out of there."

"I thought my gift was getting a ride in '_Al-Kida's suicide ride_'." House joked.

"Consolation prize for being quite possibly the most egotistical human on Earth in 2008." The Doctor would have carried on that topic, however they had finally made their way to the front Desk, where yet ANOTHER cat was on Hospital Administration. "Yes?" She lowered the pain she had been chewing on in boredom and leant back in her chair.  


"Hi. I'm the Doctor, and this...Is nobody import-OUCH!" Cane plus foot equalled a nasty combination that led to pain, courteous of Gregory House who didn't seem too thrilled by the Doctor's comment.

"Argh..." He shuffled his foot around and ran his hand down his leg, feeling pain shooting up. "Ok. Forget that. I'm 'a' Doctor here, just signed up. See?" He drew his hand into his pocket and yanked out the little leather holder with a piece of blank paper lodged safely inside, and he flipped it open for the 'woman's' eyes to see.  
Slowly, the clerical cat nodded, although she wasn't entirely all that convinced but the man _did _have his credentials. "Alright Doctor 'House'..." Her eyes were fixed on the Doctor, having taken Greg's name for the remainder of this Hospital visit. "What do you need?"

"Right! I need access to the Prescription Medications. Where are they dispensed here?" His converse sneakers squeaked on the tiled floors while he tilted back and forth in the process in shoving his psychic paper back in his endless pockets, and he eagerly awaited an answer.

"Walk down _that _corridor until you see a desk similar to this, and you'll find what you're looking for." Her less-than-enthusiastic tone seemed to usher House and the Doctor away faster than they would have normally retreated, but the two quickly walked (and limped down the corridor and fortunately found the huge desk that they required, with a set of double-doors behind it, leading to a room where immensely tall shelves were stacked neatly with hundreds and thousands of medications, all labelled and ready to be distributed to the patients that needed them.

"Hi...Doctor 'House' here, and this is my patient. 'Bob'...I have a prescription here to pick up 10ml of Hypantedine and 50ml of Gantodine." He yanked out and flashed the psychic paper to the Doctor, who gave a curious look but went and retrieved the medication required, who then handed it over to the Doctor while House watched from the sidelines.

"Hypantedine? Gantodine? Never heard of them..." House grunted while 

following the Doctor, who found a vacant room, packed with various resources and supplies such as sterile syringes; a top-of-the-line chair for patients and best of all: Privacy.

"I'd give you the obvious answer as to why you haven't heard of it but I'm fairly aware that you know why..." The Doctor murmured, grabbing two sterile syringes, and filling each with the required amount of liquid that he was given in the labelled glass vials. "Now, this _might _hurt a-"

"What exactly do the medications do?" House cut in, not worried for his sake but merely for curiosity.

"Give you a pain free life..." The Time Lord tied a make-shift knot around Houses' upper arm, cutting off the circulation. A bit old-school, but he couldn't be bothered finding the 'futuristic' tools that would make that process ten times faster.

"Yeah yeah, I know that. But what exactly does _each _of those medications do, and since when are you medically qualified?" He shot back, leaning comfortably in the chair with his leg resting on one of the leg supports.

"Fine..." The Doctor sighed, holding the first syringe in his hand, loaded with the first round of medicine. "This; Hypantedine literally locates and kills the dead muscle within your leg, but oddly enough it goes through the arm which will be circulated and flooded directly to your leg. The sudden pain will be temporary but after I give you that...Gantodine is next. Nasty stuff; reacts the moment it touches the internals..." The Doctor loved it when he went into 'scientist' mode. Always made him feel superior, not that he cherished that feeling.

"One the first stuff does its job; it goes in and rebuilds the muscle – Instantly. This will hurt, but essentially your leg is being regrown from the inside out...And I don't have a medical degree. I do however have 900 years of experience in 'living' and I generally retain knowledge fairly well. So I know this is a bit 'sudden', but this is your choice. You can say no, but after the first injection I can't stop. Ok?"  


House narrowed his eyes for a moment and glanced at the syringe, sloshing with the green liquid inside. It looked, well, fierce, and it was vital for the death and regeneration of his leg. "Do it."

The Doctor wasted no more time. He plunged the syringe down into the flesh of Gregory House, who winced as he felt the needle touch the nerves and send pain receptors back to his brain. But then...Then the _real _pain began.

Were they tears welling up in his eyes?  
Was that fear hiding behind his glassy pupils? Scratching its way out?  
Was the shaking in his throat a scream trying to purge its way out?

Yes.

A blood curdling scream escaped his lips while his hands dug into the arm supports of the chair, and his body trembled as his leg literally began to rot and fall away from the inside. Sweat covered his body, and he couldn't even bear to look down as the second shot was administered.

Because the pain only got worse from there.

And he screamed.

_Oh how he screamed_.

**Authors Note: I apologize dearly for the large delay in my chapters. I guess I go through 'moods' where my muse has been absolutely annihilated to dust, but all it takes is a few inspirations and I'm back on that metaphorical horse! You're ALL awesome readers: D I love you!! Expect more chapters to come! And please continue to Review! I DO read your comments!!**


	17. Acceptance and Beer

Just when he thought his pain was becoming slightly acceptable; just when he thought that the vicodin was actually starting to manage his pain – Every moment of gratitude for those little white saviours was stripped down and yanked harshly away from the man who sat there in his chair, his eyes fixed to the ceiling in hopes that there_ was_ a God or higher power that could take him away from this hell.

One half of his mind was practically screaming at him, trying to convince him that the Doctor was doing this for mere pleasure and the brilliant Diagnostician had been conned into a trick simply designed to aid the Alien traveller in some sort of sick pain and torture fetish. Could this have all been a cheap swindle at House to gain his trust and take it away? Was it even in Houses' best interest to trust the Time Lord in the first place? The other half was much more passive about its approach to the severe throbbing and stabbing radiating from the thigh muscle up, taking for granted the luxurious and once-in-a-life-time offer to take a trip through the stars and to see what no (or very little) humans had seen before. So all in all, perhaps this pain was the beginning of something new...

Perhaps there _was _no conspiracy theory, and like every other day he'd do what he'd do best.  
Deal with it. 

But for now his screams bounced off the walls and echoed down the hallways while his hands dug furiously into the arm supports of the chair until noticeable imprints were seen as he made efforts to lighten the grip. _"Ahhh..AHHHHHHH!" _He howled, his thinning and greying hair creating friction against the head-rest of the chair. If there was a scale from one to ten for the amount of pain he was feeling right now, there wouldn't even be a number that would come close to describing it. Instant muscle death, decay and regeneration wasn't risky or dangerous in the slightest, but the amount of pain a patient experienced going through this procedure was next to near insufferable. In fact, it wasn't even commonly used in this century due to the medical technology and advanced health of the new day and age that prevented anything even close to the extent of muscle death that House had suffered all those years.

So it was safe to say that this could be considered torture.

"Just..Just calm down! Your muscle is regenerating at an incredible rate and your body is using the medication to degrade the small fragments of dead muscle so you'll just have to bear with me for a-"

"I DON'T CARE!" He shrieked, his eyes forcing themselves open revealing reddened and glassy eyes that reflected the Doctor's concerning image, but he quickly clenched them shut; not willing to stare down at his leg despite the denim fabric of the jeans concealing the melting and lifting process of the treatment.

"How...How much LONGER?!" He shrieked, yet little did he know that the treatment was in its final stages. New and rejuvenated muscle had been locked tightly under the skin of his thigh, lacking any evidence of muscle atrophy. No more lack of muscle that had shrivelled and withered to a sickening amount of bone and skin. _Now_ he had a thigh. A _real _thigh that was capable of supporting weight, retrenching the cane for life.



His laboured and desperate gasps for air signalled that the process had concluded while he slowly opened his eyes. The final signals of pain branch out up his leg, but beyond that it dissipated into nothing that gave him any indication of pain. He furrowed his brow while thinking that this could have possibly been a dream, even a fantasy but he had gone through this personal debate long before the pain started. No, the pain was real, as was the Doctor and everything he had seen including those rather grotesque cat girls. Instead of engaging in a further debacle with his severely clever mind, House took a short look at the Doctor before reaching his hand down and letting his eyes follow while his hand felt its way down his leg. After subconsciously naming several muscles that had been required to study all those many years ago in Med.School, his eyes curiously widened when his hand met his once-damaged muscle.

At first he wasn't able to make heads or tails of it. There _should _have been some sort of indenting arena, or even a rough and awkward patch where the muscle had once been withering away in his body, yet all he felt now was a full and muscular leg that matched his other in size and feeling.

_This is impossible._

_Instant muscle decay and regeneration is entirely, extremely and intensely impossible._

_But, if this is real...And my leg is pain free then...Oh my God.  
The Doctor...He-He's real.  
Space; aliens; other worlds...They're real.  
And...I don't have to be in pain anymore._

He even made the notion to poke it as hard as he could; gritting his teeth while expecting a sharp dose of pain as a result of his impudence, but there was nothing. Instead the area where he poked it sprung back with a healthy reaction from his newly regenerated muscle, which almost welcomed the touch. "Nice."

_I give him his leg back, and all he has to say is 'nice'?_

_Nice..._

"So, ready to take your leg for a spin? Allons-y!" The Doctor's mouth widened to a cheeky smile as he waved his arm and pointed towards the door.

"Would you _stop _saying that? You're an alien that carries a _British _accent. The day you waltz around with a beau ret and a French accent, _then _and only _then _can you make references to the French language, which you clearly don't have any right to use poetically..." House retorted, gliding off the soft cushions of the chair and moving closer to the ground, sliding down until his feet met the floor. This was it. This was when it all became clear if the treatment had worked 100 or not. If it didn't; House would most likely storm back in a rage to PPTH with a cane firmly in hand and a conceited scowl ever-present on his face and the sarcasm to match. But if it _did,_ he'd still storm back in a rage to PPTH, losing the cane with a greater self-important ego and as much sarcasm as he could lay his hands on. He was House, and he'd always be House. The last thing he was going to do was to change his entire demeanour simply because he had a life changing experience.  
_Or would it?_



Nothing quite like this had ever happened to the man before, and he still wasn't aware as to how he'd explain this to the rest of his team, Cuddy and Wilson. Actually, after all his team had been through he was fairly sure they'd take it in stride and expect a 'new House' with all new feelings and a loving approach to his patients. Wilson would take it in, and most likely expect the same. Cuddy on the other hand would hound him until she got answers; but give up after a day or two.  
He wasn't even sure what was going on at the hospital right now. Correction, what had _happened _at the hospital all those years ago, and it was rather unnerving to think that every single person he had ever known was long-dead in this century. Time travel had its perks, but it certainly had a depressing side when you looked at it from that angle.

"I'm sorry. I thought you'd be pleased about this?" The Doctor inquired, cocking up an eyebrow at the sudden bout of sarcasm that House shot back at him after the painful procedure.

"I never said I wasn't pleased, I just wasn't about to go all soft for the sake of a life-changing experience that I appreciate. Now, give me a moment...Because it's my moment." His blue eyes switched their attention to his feet, still touching the floor while he contemplated when to 'fall' off the chair and put pressure on both legs.

"Whenever you're ready..." The Doctor coaxed, but it only received more snark from House.

"You know what you'd be great at? One of those 'Guidance counsellors'... Oh Cuddy or Cameron would _love _you." Closing his eyes, he decided to make the plunge. Letting go of the arm supports, he slid further down the medical chair until his knees bent while he put pressure against the ground. If this had been before the procedure, the pain he had experienced ever since the muscle death would have emanated through his leg and sent him staggering to the side in desperation of holding something that would give him support. But today was different.  
_Very different._

"No pain..." He murmured, his hand instinctively acting on habit and feeling his thigh once more, just reassuring himself that this wasn't a dream and it wasn't going to go away. "Nothing..."

"See? I told you. It works, duo-medications acting in tandem and aiding in each other as they complete the process. See, I find that rather brilliant, almost graceful if you look at it in a poetic fashion." The Doctor gleamed with delight, getting that fulfilling feeling of aiding a life that would no longer be in pain. "So Gregory House..." Hands shuffled in pockets and he gave a cheeky grin. "This is my gift to you. A thank you for saving my life back there."

"I didn't save your life in _that way. _I just saved it from a boring life of questions and interrogations. You wouldn't end up on an autopsy table, you'd end up somewhere worse."

"I doubt that, but where?" The Doctor couldn't help it, he was curious.

"Talk shows; most likely Oprah or Ellen...But Doctor Phil might give you a questionnaire on how being 'alienated' on Earth is damaging for your psyche. Last thing you need is a Texan telling you how you feel."



"Right. Thanks for the advice..." He folded his arms across his chest and ushered his hands towards the door. "You going to walk? Or are you going to stand there and gawk at your newfound powers to stand up without toppling over?"

The one of a kind diagnostician opened his mouth to send some more snark flying the Time Lord's way, but instead be complied with the suggestion and proceeded to take a few steps forward. One leg, then the other, and it pretty much went like that until he reached the door. No pain for every step, not even a twinge that caused the slightest amount of discomfort. He was even expecting it to suddenly disappear and for him to collapse to the hard hospital floor, but he didn't. It was almost like learning to walk again...And he had lost his signature limp, the way he moved almost made him who he was. There were moments in his newfound stability that made him want to reach for his cane, but to his dismay it was lying on the ground beside the chair and he knew that by heading back to his past would be a futile mistake.  
And he wasn't about to move backwards when all that pain had enabled him to move forwards.

"Thank-you."

It was quiet, it was subtle but it was there. House had shown proper gratitude and he was thankful for it, despite the ever-present smugness fixed to his face.

"I'm sorry, what?" The Doctor glanced upwards, having been in the process of picking up Houses' cane, and heading over towards the door.

"I said, 'thank you'. I'm not sure how you 'Time Lords' thank each other but that's all you're getting from me." Acting on a whim, he put all the weight he could on his prior-bummed leg, and for a single second a satisfied smile leapt to his face. "So, what happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I've done my part. You've done yours, we're even and I doubt I'm going to do you any more life-saving favours, so I ask again. What happens now?" He might not have showed a single ounce of remorse, but if this _was _the end of the road then House was indeed going to somewhat miss the man. Sure, he found him painfully quirky, positive and beyond the point of likeable with his clever nature and his intense curiosity for positively _everything _that stood before him, yet this man had given House _life_ in the form of a muscle. He had killed the pain that was killing him slowly and for that, a simple 'thankyou' and 'goodbye' seemed so weak. He wasn't sure if he was even considering it, but did House consider him a _friend?_ Not too many people made that list and lived to tell the tale, but like Wilson, this man appeared to be able to put up with Houses' antics, and _certainly _that was an immense task in itself.

The Doctor blinked at the suddenness of the question, but House was right. What _did _happen now? Drop House off in the 21st century and head off travelling? No Rose to love him and nobody to love back...And destined to forever be alone? "I guess life goes back to normal I suppose. I showed you a world beyond yours in return for saving mine. That's all I can offer." He shrugged, his hands digging into the pockets of his suit.



"So you're _just _going to let life resume to normal? No friends I'm guessing, no family either...And I doubt your face-book account hasn't been updated in a while..." House mused, a slight leer evident on his stubble-ridden face.

"What's your point?"

"My point is, why let life take that course? Why not stop and stick in the same place for once? Meet the same people, like people, hate people, whatever works-"

"Oh you're one to talk!" Whatever House had said had hit the Doctor hard, because it had certainly hit a soft spot and if House was trying to hit him hard; it was working. "You're the one that's been living in misery, pushing people away from you and being content with how your life is going and disliking any change that _may _happen. So I ask again House, what's your point?" His teeth were clenching as he spoke, showing off the frustration that was dwelling inside of him.

House smirked and tapped his foot on the ground. "For once, stop and take in what's around you. For all the references you make to your life experiences being lonely, you can _change _that. Cuddy's ass doesn't have one cheek, it's got two. Two's company, but I'm going off track. Got to stop with those buns...Anyway, you're an idiot. You think that by travelling you can run away from your loneliness but in fact it's haunting you every single _day_. For all those people you lost, for every loved one gone from your life, they're most likely _never coming back _and every journey you make to hide the fact that you're dealing by not dealing isn't helping."

The Doctor yanked his hands out of his pockets and ruffled his hands through his hair as he sat down on the end of the chair, trying to make sense of what House was saying. "You're right, they're gone. They're all gone. I can't do anything about it, and travelling is all I have left, and because of that I've met some brilliant, brilliant people. Mickey Smith, Jackie, Rose..." He lowered his hand, but gave a feeble attempt at a smile. "But the TARDIS is all I have. I-"

"Have to keep moving. Yeah, I heard that cheap crap you probably pulled out of a fortune cookie..." He waved his hand at the air and shook his head. "But dealing by not dealing _doesn't _help. To some you're a brick wall, but I can read you easier than a pictorial alphabet with giant A4 sized letters." House knew this was a long shot, and the last thing he wanted was another caring and 'locking-up-feelings' type to bother him, but this man was clearly troubled. The Doctor needed fixing, and solitude wasn't doing anything beneficial on his part. And to dismiss all further notions, this was in _no way any sort of any kind of_ attraction to the Doctor, but merely a curiosity that he needed to pursue. So what he did next was something he'd most likely come to regret.

"Want a beer?"

"Times like these I have to remind myself as to why I even bothered to help you and..._What?"_ The Doctor paused mid sentence and blinked at the spontaneity of the question. 

"You heard me. A beer, an alcoholic beverage usually sold at bars..." House smirked. "Otherwise known as a 'drink'."



The scrawny Time Lord thought for a moment, trying to consider what House had just said. He wanted this old Time Lord to head out drinking with a man who had just spent most of the time sending snark his way. "So what you're implying is the beginnings of a...A friendship?" The Doctor couldn't help but feel as though he was falling into a deep trap, and it had been a while since somebody had invited him out for proper drinks. Even most of his companions were more interested in relaxing after a hard day's work of saving lives, and a casual drinking night never seemed to be on the agenda for him, until now.

Houses' expression dropped and he rolled his eyes. "Did I say 'friendship' or imply it? No. Feeling emotionally stable? You know, Earth has this saying. Got an issue? Here's a tissue. So _get over it _and sit down, have a beer at a real 21st century pub and actually 'meet' people before packing up and heading back to wherever you 'don't need to go to."

"You _know _I can't stay, right?"

"Of course I know. I don't care, but I'll bring Wilson, so you can both cry about dying cancer kids. Maybe Cameron should come...She'd like you. You both care too much..."

"**Alright."**

_Am I doing the right thing?_

_I never stick around, I have to leave. I have to see what's already been seen and I HAVE to move on._

_But he's practically extending a hand of friendship. A very subtle hand...And I can't deny that._

_We'll see how this plays out._

"Alright as in 'you both care too much'? Or-"

"Fine...Now allons-y to the TARDIS!" And from there, he marched out the door, followed a Gregory House who left with a fulfilled smirk on his face. Every painless step was bliss and the purified atmosphere only added on to that feeling.

House was whole again, and it was back to the 21st century and back to PPTH...

**Authors note: Hope you liked that chapter! And for all you slash fans, this is NOT going to become a slash. Sorry, but House isn't taking a sexual liking to the Doctor. Simplified, he sees the pain and is extending a very subtle hand to help. Also, I'm debating whether or not to make the Doctor stay in the 21****st**** century for a while, OR have House become a companion, or end it then and there. I love writing this fan fic! And please remember that every review you make is read and I consider every single suggestion! You fans are incredible :D And I love you reading my fic!! **


	18. Turn for the worst

**(House and The Doctor)**

"We back yet?"

"You've asked me roughly twenty two times in the space of twenty minutes. When I know, I assure you that you'll be informed. But for now...Stop. Please?" The Doctor shuffled a hand through his ruffled hair and inclined casually over the console with a comical hammer ready at the side. "Old girl has to do her work..." He lightly patted the control-ridden bench, which in turn received a low and gentle moan from the walls of the ship.

"And that was...?" House, who had been spending the duration of the trip pacing back and forth, while occasionally jumping, hopping and pounding as much weight as he could down on his previously bummed leg couldn't help himself. He was curious about the TARDIS, and he was just as curious about the limits of his leg **which **appeared to be as strong and as limber as the next.

"What...Her work?"

"No you idiot. The sound I just heard. Sounds like creaky pipes but could be a gas main about to blow, which I'd advise you to get a look at..." Halting mid-pace, he slumped down into one of the chairs and grabbed his cane which had been spread out on two of the chairs surrounding the central nexus of the vessel. He subconsciously trailed his fingers down the flamed sides of the flawless design that had been printed upon it, but snapped back to reality when he realised that he didn't need it anymore. Even touching it didn't seem right...

"Oh that?" The Doctor gave a bemused toothy grin and extended his hand out to the core of the TARDIS. "That was the old girl herself. Granted, she's not much of a talker but I'm fairly sure she was acknowledging that I acknowledged her working...But she's old, so occasionally a few things slip up now and then, but you can't blame her. She does her best."

"Hold up." House pointed his finger at the core and rolled his eyes as the Doctor deviated off the subject a tad. "I'm sorry, for a moment I thought you said 'girl'. Now it's one thing to refer to a **boat **in the feminine context but as for an _alien _vessel that flies like a child's at the wheel and the emergency tools are novelty hammers and 'sonic screwdrivers', that's different." Sliding off his chair and hopping to his feet, he approached the Doctor and in a sense he was 'sizing' him up, now that he didn't have a limp and an awkward slant to under-exaggerate his height.

"_She _is a living organism, not just a vehicle." The Doctor removed his hands from the panel and glanced upwards at House, only now just realising how tall the man was. Darn that cane, masquerading that added extra bit of height that the Doctor could only assume was non-existent. " A very _old _organism as I earlier stated in conversation, and a sensitive one at that." He tapped his head and smirked. "Telepathic link, not quite a verbal one but more empathetic than anything else." 

Finding this conversation frustrating at best, the diagnostician returned his butt to his seat and slumped back into a bored position, his hand cradling his head while his elbow dug into his healed leg, still testing the limits of his pain which apparently only went as far as his constantly good leg. 

"Got any more superpowers? Or are you stopping at a ridiculously annoying IQ and John Edwards' power of 'second sight'? He'd be mad if he found out you stole his business con."

Rather than obtaining a satisfactory come back from the Doctor, he got none. It appeared as though the Doctor had finally caught on to Houses' game. Get insulted, insult back and in return that would seek yet another insult, so it was his version of the Lion King. The entire circle of life in the form of sarcasm, snide and sadistic rituals wrapped around the finger of Gregory House; who had the game in the palm of his hands. If this were a game, he'd most likely have the top score; similar to a video game at the local arcade with that constant ass that would always put in "AAA" as their three initials and blow the other scores out of the water. Odd metaphor, but that was how the Doctor was picturing this entire circle right now... As a result, House made a childish face and twiddled his thumbs while he attempted to think of a new devised method to deviously annoy the aging Time Lord.

_Has to be some way to tweak this guy..._

_Or maybe tweaking isn't the answer. Maybe I should ask questions..._

"So who's Rose?"

For a moment, an awkward silence filled the room and the Doctor stopped dead in his tracks, making a noticeable clench of his hand and informally brushed a spot of dirt off the shoulder of his suit.

"Was she a wife, mother, daughter, or a **girlfriend**? Or perhaps she's just the local babe you pulled out of Playboy and stuck her up on your bedroom-"

"Don't you DARE speak about Rose like that!" Finally, a darker side of the Doctor revealing itself as the curtains dropped and all became known. Last thing he wanted and needed was memories resurfacing in the form of a run-down conversation between a man that was far too invasive of personal space for his own good.

"Wife..." House mused, but studying the vacant reaction he shook his head. "No...No ring, and judging by your facial feedback I'm wrong there..."

"I said don't-"

"Mother..." He grumbled under his breath, but his sadistic and subtle grin dismissed that theory. "Although being 900 years old and the last of your kind, she'd be long dead and you've had plenty of time to get over that. Also, I doubt Rose is a 'Time Lady's' name and unless you're a momma's boy getting in hysterics over a simple slanderous referral to a name is just odd..."

The Doctor further clenched his fists and shook his head. "House, I'm warning you. Just drop it before-"

"Wouldn't be a daughter because you don't have a wife or any evidence of a girlfriend...And unless it was the result of a spring fling I have a feeling it's not that at all. So, what does that leave us then?" Feeling proud of his prowess and dexterity to break down a person to their simplest forms and strip 

them bare, he gave a more defining grin and nodded. "So where'd you pick her up at? Stop by a bar in the 21st, shag her in the 22nd and lose her in the 23rd?"

"I SAID DROP IT!" He bellowed, unclenching his fists but now clenching his jaw after his outburst.

House on the other hand, was more than impressed. "See? Everything's just bottled up in there...And travelling isn't helping you **at all**. You're almost as miserable as I am...Or once was, still not sure yet...But I can guarantee my arrogant tendencies to be an ass will forever remain, forever." He pointed at the Doctor and leapt off his chair again as he moved closer. "Correction; you're even more miserable than I thought. Whoever she was, she's gone. Whatever happened already happened so you have to let go."

"She's still alive...I just can't see her." The Doctor wasn't going to let all defences fall. He was stronger than that, even if thinking of Rose did make him want to break down. "I want to..But I can't. Actually, how about I amuse you, indulge your curiosity." He sniffed, not even willing to make eye contact as he spent more time darting his view between the ceiling and the floor. "One of the first things I said to her was '_run_', because I assumed that she was just a simple ape, no better than the humans that had scorned me in the past." He lowered his head and slouched over onto one of the chairs, his two hands supporting his head while House watched over from standing up.

"I assumed that she'd run, but with the events that followed I found that she was more than that...And when she discovered who...What I really was, she didn't look at me any differently. To her, I was still the man that saved her life, and she saved mine. I never..." He paused, clenching his fist while dwelling over past regrets. "I never told her. I should have." Tears welled up in his eyes but he fought them back with as much will-power as he could find. "I've had companions come and go and I've been in love. Even before I travelled I was in love, had a wife and a family but-Oddly enough Rose was different, and I never had the courage to tell her that I loved her." He cranked his head up to look at House, who oddly enough was frozen in thought while taking in what the Doctor was telling him.  
"I loved her so much, and long story short I can't get her back. I can't move on...And you're right, I'm moving on by not moving on... I _am _miserable. So there, amuse yourself with whatever remark you've got because honestly, I don't care."

The Diagnostician slowly shook his head, and after listening to _that _there was no way in hell he could invent a string of sarcastic comments to tweak the Doctor even more then he already had. This was enough, and he had gotten his answer. "I'm sure she knows."

"I-"Before the Doctor could respond, he felt a light touch of turbulence and glimpsed up from his chair at the console with the scanners that were flashing.

_You've had enough time to mope. Get off your Gallifreyan butt and do something._

_Anything._

"We're **here**."

House nodded and walked wistfully to the door, but not before scabbing his cane and striding 

proudly to the door, opening it up and cocking up an eyebrow from the confusion. "I have to say, it takes skill parking in the storage cupboard near my office."

"What? Oh...I thought it was a little less revealing than the car park, considering the fact that I probably have a few people hunting me down." He scuffled his converse against the floor grating and placed his novelty hammer comfortably under the console. "Are you sure...I mean, people are probably still after me and travelling still might be a good-"

"Might be, and probably won't be a good idea, if that's what you were going to say." House shrugged. "You need a break, and where better to soak up some sun in the polluted streets of New Jersey, where the trash cans overflow and the hookers speak nothing but mere poetry in the form of words beginning with F and C.."

The Doctor thought it was probably best to give in. Could it really hurt to give a vacation a try? He had saved this hospital and most likely this planet from doom for today, and he _did_ need a break. Besides, if any other aliens decided to thwart the human race in this century, he'd hear about it and he'd fix it. He didn't follow danger, but it generally followed him. "You're right."

"I always am, not what's that infuriating French poetic saying you always use is? Because right now it seems appropriate, so come on!" House wasn't sure if he was in a good mood because of his leg, or simply because he was 'breaking in' a 900 year old Time Lord that seemed emotionally scarred from his last fling. Either way, it was surely an intriguing case in itself, and he wanted to pursue his curiosity.  
Or his friendship...

Picking up a half-hearted smile, the Doctor raised his hand towards the ceiling and marched forth to the open doors of his TARDIS, and out the doors of the cupboard, entering the familiar hospital corridor in the process of following the brilliant maverick diagnostician know as Gregory House. "Allons-y!"

**(Cuddy and Wilson)**

"So you have nothing?"

"Well, you have to understand that it's not a normal patient that we're dealing with so as to his location and proof of that I...I have no idea." The Oncologist slumped his shoulders and shook his head, but to his curiosity Cuddy wasn't rubbing failure in his face. On the contrary, she was nodding as if she completely understood.

"Hold on...Why aren't you rubbing it in my face?"

Cuddy shrugged and flipped through a few sheets of paperwork that had been filed in a red folder, marked **CONFIDENTIAL.** "Because I believe you, you don't need proof."

"I'm sorry, what?"



"I said I believe you." Lisa Cuddy handed him over the folder and ushered him to go through it. "Every document of every test result that we have on this guy is in there. Including security footage of an interesting party trick in the car-park that happened right before his arrival here at PPTH, so I'd advise you to take a look at those photos."

Wilson, having immediately finding the photos in question, felt his jaw drop at the images, a few seconds apart, revealing the Blue box materialising from thin air. More to the point, a vacant parking space comprising of nothing BUT thin air, which meant that this was all true. Sure, he had believed it from the start, being a tad naive to begin with, but now he had one hundred percent confirmation, and so did Cuddy. "House-"

"Is missing; Cameron told me. But more to the point, we know who and what he's with. So either way, he's coming back and we have to be ready." Cuddy took back the folder and for a moment, there was nothing but remorse and regret in her eyes.

"Cuddy..." Wilson said slowly. "You haven't told the CDC **that**...Have you?" He gulped and narrowed his eyes with an unnerving feeling about the situation, and what was going to result.

"James." Great, things were now on first name basis again. "I'm sorry, but as the Hospital Administrator I have to consider the implications of what we have in this hospital, and ever since I saw that proof I...I had no idea what to think. Aliens are real? Now imagine if that got out to the media? The source of political and religious panic, all radiating out from MY hospital!"

" Oh ho ho!" Wilson chuckled, baffled by how this situation was turning out. "And you think the CDC is going to keep it **quiet?"**

"They might, they might not. All they told me was that due to recent updates of information that I provided, they're bringing in secondary help and they're going to incapacitate and capture the 'alien' while causing no harm to him whatsoever." She said, raising her hands defensively. "They didn't go into much, but they instructed that no matter what the outcome, the main priority is the safety of the general public and to ensure that a world-wide panic is avoided at all costs."

"LISA! He's a sentient, intelligent and clever individual who has SAVED our lives no thanks to another alien presence that-"

"The CDC is aware of, and right now they're currently in the morgue 'cleaning it up'. James, I'm sorry. I really am...But there's nothing I can do. The only thing I could do was keep House out of jail due to harbouring 'illegal aliens', which oddly enough applies to real aliens and not just Mexicans." Was she doing the right thing? She had no idea.

"Lisa, you're making a bit mistake." Wilson shook his head and felt his airways becoming slightly tense from the tension he was feeling due to the frustration of the authorities that had put a foot in this hospitals sand-pit so to speak. "His ship, it's fantastic on the inside. **Incredible!** And he welcomed us into his ship! You have to call them off."

"There's nothing I can do. I'm sorry Wilson; it's beyond my control now. If you see the Doctor, don't try to inform him of the plan. We've got security cameras, men and women working undercover and people armed with tranquilisers. This is the way things have to be. "



"They don't HAVE to be this way! You-"

"I'm sorry. Wilson, this is hard enough as it is to deal so please. Just leave."

"Oh can it! I respect you Lisa, but this isn't a stray dog we're waiting on to be put down. This is a man, and a friend. If you had taken the guts to speak to the man in a casual conversation, you'd see that he wasn't as 'alien' as you thought. I'm going to find House, and I'm going to warn the Doctor." He wasn't even sure where to start, but he stormed out of Cuddy's office faster than Cuddy could react to, who oddly felt a strong impact of guilt from that conversation.

_James, I'm so sorry.  
I don't want things to be this way.  
You're my friend, just please forgive me..._

_I didn't want to do this..._

But the truth was the truth, there was nothing she could do and standing up to the CDC and the FBI was a big, big mistake. The FBI had only gotten involved due to the proof being whisked away off to their headquarters after a member of the CDC simply 'freaked' out when peering at the confidential security camera footage, hence forth leading on to the FBI to get involved, and they would most likely involved a force like a SWAT team. So now, in reality there was no hope for the Time Lord. Little to his knowledge, the cold harsh truth of the reality was that he was going to be tranquilized, most likely physically assaulted and dragged off to a secure research facility where the only form of sunlight he'd see would be on the screensaver of a computer. There'd be nobody to trust, nobody to confide into and just like before but only worse, he'd be in complete solitude despite the odd occasional interrogation demanding the secrets of his unique biology, race and technology. Oh, and his TARDIS would be taken and they would stop at nothing until they had accessed it internally and attempted to uncover every single technological secret about the ship that was mysteriously 'bigger on the inside'.

And of course, he would never see House, Wilson, Chase, Cameron, Foreman or ROSE ever, ever again. Escape wouldn't be an option because they'd most likely have him drugged up on so many sedatives the only means of surviving would be to put him on bypass, and when patients were on bypass they generally didn't walk out of the hospital with the bypass machines still lodged into their body...

**(Chase, Cameron and Foreman...And two familiar faces)**

"Find him?" Foreman hadn't even bothered to leave his chair, because he knew perfectly well that if House had indeed gone with the Doctor in his 'ship', then the last place he'd be was in a hospital with people that were looking for him and the 'Doctor'. Essentially, House would come back to them.



Chase ruffled his hair and shook his head. "No, checked all the places I thought he'd be but there's no trace of him or the Doctor. But he should be back...Shouldn't he?"

"They probably went to get Mexican takeout. Wouldn't be the first time." Cameron shrugged, poking a pencil at the cryptic crossword that didn't appear to be solving itself.

"I've got a better theory!"

"And what would that be Chase? Please, indulge us." The Neurologist tapped his fingernails on the desk, tapping along to the beat of a jazz song he enjoyed.

"They went to another planet?"

"Ok, we're aware of your little UFO conspiracy theories, but all we saw was the 'ship'. Takes years to get to another planet if you look at it in light years, and if I know House, the last thing he'd do would go on some long-distance vacation with a man he'd grow tired of in a day."

"Well, what if the ship doesn't fly? What if it teleports?" Chase added, but little did he know as to how right he actually was.

"Right...Aliens I now believe in, but teleportation? Save that for the Sci-Fi club..." Foreman scoffed. "Cameron, got any theories?"

"Hiding in the bathroom playing 'find' the vicodin."

"**Cameron.** How disappointed I am in you! Actually, all of you!" A thoroughly annoying and all-too familiar voice sounded out from the doorway, causing all three ducklings to swivel around and gape at the two, not one figures standing before them. "Find the vicodin; Mexican takeout, and flying to other worlds. Like every diagnosis, you're all wrong."

"House, where've you been?"

"And you brought him with you?' Cameron pointed to the Doctor, who grinned sheepishly and waved to the ducklings all still lodged in their seats. "Allo!"

"I've been to the moon, the stars and back around the Milky Way and I'm still home for dinner, so yes, I am _that good_." House smirked, and he tapped his now-good leg on the floor, which sent three pairs of eyes down that way.

"House-"

"Your leg, where's your-"

"No way..."

"But, it's healed. How the heck did-"Foreman was the unlucky one to be cut off by House, swimming in the feeling of satisfaction.

"Harry Potter calls it magic, JK Rowling calls it copyright and I call it simple science perfected a few centuries ahead, thanks to our good friend 'ET'." Yep, it happened. House was back to being the 

sarcastic arse he had always been, except it a pinch of happiness to the side. For once, he was less miserable and more...Happy?

"You went to the future?!"

"I...Would rather call it the Brothel in the sky but we'll work from there..." He joked, causing a few eyes to bulge out. "Oh get off it, it was a hospital. I'm not that lucky."

The Doctor on the other hand, was proud to have been the catalyst for the healing process. "I have to say, the experience was brill-" Then all of a sudden, he paused, eyes widening and his speech halted mid sentence.

"Sorry, he's just stunned speechless with my amazingly good looks and fashion sense." House sneered, but something was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

Foreman took his eyes off the leg and looked up at the Doctor, who appeared to be literally **stunned**. "I don't think he's stunned by your 'looks'..." He stood up and went to approach the Doctor, but of course House reached him long before he did; who proceeded to get out a light to test for pupil dilation. Yet he didn't need to, as the Doctor tipped forward and went crashing to the ground. Fortunately for him, House reached out his arms and caught the man but when he looked over at his back he got his answer.

A dart had been shot (most likely with a silencer he figured) at the Doctor, and that dart was most likely a tranquiliser.

"Oh god." Cameron gasped, standing up in her chair, because the senders of the dart were standing behind the doorway, and they had come to collect their prize.

Their appearance was as intimidating as it was unnerving. Black uniformed suits clad with the letters "SWAT" written in big bold yellow over the armoured black material on their backs approached the fallen body with caution, but not before getting the Diagnostician to step in their path.

"No."

"Stir, we'd ask you to step aside or we have permission to administer physical force." One of the four men instructed, but House proudly stood his ground. "This is my department, he's my patient and you have no right to take him."

The leader of the pack glanced at his comrades and nodded before sending a kick at Houses' lower abdomen, causing the man to fall to the ground and clutch his soon-to-be bruised skin. His ducklings cowered around him to check for any severe injuries, but for the Doctor it was too late. The SWAT team had achieved their mission, and now they had the alien: **The Doctor**, who was now being carried away out of the hospital.

And there was nothing they could do about it.

House had promised him a beer, and now his newfound friend was in severe danger.



He had to save him.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

**Authors note: Bet you weren't expecting that! Also, this chapter is LONG for me! Haha, 4000 words...Jeez, I write alot! But I hope you're enjoying this fan fic and I hope you enjoy this chapter!! I love writing it, and remember: I read all comments and every suggestion is considered!! If I don't use it now, doesn't mean I won't use it further down the track!  
So any who, enjoy!**

(Also, I'm thinking of writing another House X-Over but so far some my picks are with Dead Like Me, Spiderman, Star Trek Voyager, and there's others but I'm too tired to remember. So any suggestions for THAT, please tell!

**So yeah, longest authors comment! Haha :D THANKS again for reading and commenting! You guys rock!**


	19. Argh! Mutiny! And the FBI!

**(House and the Ducklings)**

"Hey! I said STOP!"

Being sprawled out on the floor with a team around him wasn't entirely on his list of predictions for his first 21st century day on his newly healed leg; however everything had tumbled back downhill. He had ensured to his newfound friend that everything would be ok, and that some time settling down in one place for a while would be beneficial in enabling him to move on from his past loves...Yet _this _had happened. No doubt the Doctor would feel betrayed, and he probably even felt set up, but could House blame him?

No. Not this time. For once in his life, the torch of blame was bound to his soul and he wasn't prepared to hand it on to the next. The Doctor had technically been his responsibility, and now he was being dragged away by men that would hand him over to other men, who would no doubt subject him to various questions, tests and of course...Talk shows. 

"I SAID. BRING HIM BACK HERE! NOW!"

_Crap. Yelling wasn't helping and hugging the floor isn't doing much good either._

_And why the hell aren't I chasing them? I've got two legs now.  
I'd better use them._

House adhered to his thoughts and took his mindful suggestions as he pushed up off the ground and made an attempt to sprint awkwardly towards the glass doors that had swayed shut, but he was prevented by a sudden grab at the material of his shirt, followed by a hand clutched firmly around his leg. "What the-"

"House. It's over, we've lost. We can't do any more." Foreman was the first to speak up as an annoyed House cranked his head around to view his employee, grasping the bottom half of his right leg.

"Let go of me, or you're fired."

"This is ridiculous!" Chase spoke up, stepping in front of House who glared angrily up at him with his cold blue eyes. "Pissing off Volger; Ok, wasn't that bad. Put us out a million dollars but-"

"Do you want to be fired to?"

"Not done yet. He put us out a million dollars but he could only control us to an extent and he was expendable. Tritter was a _little_ worse, because he's involved with something called the 'Authorities'. What you want to do now is go after a SWAT team, the FBI and of course, the highly and overly qualified scientists that will deem whatever they see fit on our ex-patient. They're above the authorities! They take steps behind the protocols when nobody's looking and the last thing they'll allow is a doctor from _Princeton _to get in their way!"



"I'm warning you." House growled. "Everyone let go and move or you're all fired. You're honestly just going to give up after all this?"

"_House."_ There it came, that soothing voice from behind who belonged to the recipient of the woman gripping tightly onto Houses' shirt. "You have to let this go. I'm sure he won't be harmed and for our safety and his, we should just stop. Stay out of this and save all our arses from unemployment."

House on the other hand, didn't show it emotionally although internally he was appalled. After all they had seen, and after the monumental service that the Doctor had provided for them in saving the world from the alien menace, they were just shirking their responsibilities to save the guy in exchange to take the safe path and make sure their cushy hospital jobs were intact? What happened to the people he hired three years ago?

"Let go of me!" He snarled, kicking at Foreman's hand and pushing his body up while brushing Cameron's hand off. "You've made your intentions clear, so don't expect on coming in tomorrow."

The three doctors glanced nervously at each other, taking a stance in front of the man that held their fragile jobs on strings, ready to cut them whenever he pleased. Although as the three exchanged eye contact, they didn't appear to be that threatened by Houses' warning and method of sheer intimidation. "I don't think so." Foreman spoke up.

"I said, you're _fired. _Or do you need the Ghetto translation 'shizzy'?"

"I heard what you said, but you've got no grounds to fire us. In fact, Cuddy and the rest of the hospital would be giving us letters of commendation of we told them the whole story. Face it House, you're on your own." It felt bad, throwing every ounce of effort that House had put into this case, right back at the man who had just learnt to walk again for the very first time. If anything, today should be a day of celebration, not of mutiny, and the whole circumstances for this situation didn't make Foreman or the others feel any better about it.

House stared at him in what appeared to be his equivalent of stunned silence, and then Cameron spoke up. He wasn't expecting a treaty, but deep down he was expecting some form of support. How mistaken he was.

"When you hired us we were under the impression we were going to solve real cases. We were going to help the people that nobody else would help and that's what we do." She extended a hand a placed it on his shoulder, looking sympathetically into his eyes and searching for some form of sanity that would back up Houses' intentions. "But this and all that's happened has just crossed the line. The Doctor showed us the brilliance of his ship, and we now know what hides away in space and that we're not alone but Foreman's right. It's beyond our control; he risked his own coming here, and we're not obligated to risk our all to save a man being held under national security."

"And for the record..." Chase added. "We feel as guilty as you do. But we've stepped as far as we can go. If you think we're fired, take it up with Cuddy. But for now, we're going to do our _jobs_. And you should do yours. Let it go House."

"I'm sorry Greg." Cameron whispered, shaking her head as her delicate hand gently floated off his shoulder and returned to her side. "We respect you as a Doctor, but there are moments when life is beyond our control." She said softly, turning on her heel and heading out the door, following the two other men clearly troubled by what had just happened. They had gone against their boss, who had the patient's best interests in mind. As Doctors, they followed a creed and that was to **DO NO HARM**. Had they just gone against everything that creed stood for? Or were they doing the right thing in protecting their source of income and livelihood? Did being a man or woman of the medical profession weigh heavily against the knowledge of knowing that a man that had saved their life (most likely on more than one occasion) was about to be subjected to a painful series of tests?

Did pushing it to the back of the mind make it any easier?  
Not for House.

House was left standing in the Conference room, proudly on two legs but feeling the effects of the team mutiny stack up against him. He was scorned by his own employees who chose to finally take a strong stance against his decision, even though he was _convinced _that his was right. Morally, ethically and subjectively right, and no amount of disrespect towards his decision would change that in the slightest.

_I have to help him._

_I promised him a beer...I told him that this would help clear his mind._

_And now my team thinks I'm soft enough to simply be told 'no'. They're my employees! Not employers. That's what the Milk Maiden Cuddy is for..._

_And, what's this..._

He hadn't noticed it at first, while being stuck in the heated moment of the Fellowship rebellion that had taken place here, but down and crumpled under his left sneaker was a little scrap of paper. Actually, bending down lower he realised it was a card. Slightly tarnished with a hint of soil from his shoe, but it was legible despite the horrid handwriting. No doubt the Doctor's writing. So holding it in his hand, he began reading.

_To the holder of this card,_

_Firstly, it's not often that many people pick up this card. Actually...Maybe once...You know, I'm not sure. Also, you're brilliant if you can read my writing. 900 years old and I still never learnt how to refine the basics of the English language to make it easy enough to read...And, oh dear. I'm going off track again. Point is, something's clearly gone wrong. I've either been captured, attacked or heaven forbid: killed. Don't worry, I'll regenerate, isn't that brilliant?_

_Anyway, not all is lost! 1800 213 433 – Number for a very, very important organisation called UNIT. Very good friends of mine, and guaranteed to get me out of any pickle. I must advise you, when you call don't start off with introductions. All you need to do is say 'The Doctor is in trouble', and that should get their attention. Always does! But when you do, be sure to follow that up with what _

_happened, who's it happening with and where abouts the ordeal took place. The three W's never fail to surprise me...And, oh dear. Clearly my novelty hammer is needed and...No, put that down! Got to go, and don't ask why I'm incorporating my speech into this written letter. I don't know, I write fast. Must be why my writing is so messy. So...Oh yes! Call UNIT. If they don't believe you, then say 'Torchwood'. Kind of a little password I have for people to use. So...Keep this letter. It's important! And I'll probably need to write another one after this one gets used..But...Allons-y! Fare-thee-well! And...Bananas, good source of potassium!_

Reading the last bit of that _interesting _letter, House couldn't help but wonder if this man occasionally supplied himself with a little bit of smack now and then. But he had to remember one word, and that was UNIT. No doubt the initials for a highly important organisation that the Doctor had paired up with, so without further a due he flipped out his phone and punched in the numbers, preparing himself for the call that was about to be made.

When the line picked up, he spoke those important words.

"The Doctor's in trouble."

**(The Doctor and the FBI)**

"Explain this."

"There's nothing to explain. What you see is what's before you. Need I say more? Now can I call a friend?"

"Explain this." The monotone and dull voice arose from the well clad man with the black suit and the black glasses that shrouded his identity. Before him were test results, including his blood panel, the TOX-screen, the X-Ray results and the security footage that was taken of his TARDIS materializing and dematerializing from thin air and vice versa.

"I told you. What you see is what's there..." The Doctor groaned, resting his arms on the boring desk in the small room in one of the headquarters, but due to his short and blindfolded trip he was fairly certain that this was at least half an hour away from the hospital, if not closer. "There's nothing else to say! Honestly, you give me questions as bland as this room and you can expect your answers to be the same."

"The same?" The man's partner inquired in a gruff tone, which was similarly dressed. "We've got good reason to believe that you are of alien origin. And in light of evidence suggesting that your...'Craft' is able to disappear and reappear, we're obliged to think that. Your blood panel is also something to raise eyebrows about. X-Ray reveals two hearts...And none of your test results add up according to our Chief Medic. Want to confirm our theory?"

_To confirm or not to confirm, that is the question._

_Now, to wait for UNIT buddies to turn up; and I'm fairly sure he got my letter._

_Good thing I was coherent enough to throw it out before the tranquiliser got to my head.  
Humans and their drugs...At least those ones didn't stop my heart._

"Sure, why not? Brilliant theory, I shan't dismiss that." He gave a feeble smirk and twiddled his thumbs after clasping his hands together.

"You think this is a game?"

"I think this is something to smile about; I mean I'm not really the type to get myself in a fit about things. Normally if I had somebody to be responsible for...Sure, why not; I'd be worried for their safety. As for mine, I'll be fine." 900 years of experience, so he was fairly certain he'd get out of this in once piece, and no doubt the ordeal had scared House and his ducklings more than it had shocked the Doctor. He had to admit, it was rather interesting being tranquilised. Normally if an enemy wanted to take him out they'd simply shoot or stab him, or thwart him with some other dastardly form of punishment. But today, he got the 21st century version of torture.

But at least it wasn't a talk show.

THAT would be bad.

The two interrogators exchanged frustrated looks and one leant in closer, his silently snarling face closely juxtaposing the Doctor's fascinated expression. "This is not the time for jokes. Your chromosome count determines that you're far off the human race, and human rights apply here..But they don't apply to you. Got that?"

"I got that, but I'm guessing if you _did _physically hurt me to the point of incapacitation that wouldn't go down very well with the boss."

"Just...Calm down." His partner sighed, patting him on the shoulder and encouraging the man to slide back in his chair, moving his face further away from the Doctor. "Now..We've got questions, and you've got the answers. Sooner we get this sorted out, sooner we can get out of here."

"Although I'm guessing with the importance of your 'find', you won't be releasing me out into the general public anytime soon. I'm correct in assuming that, yes?"

With the question being so obvious, neither of the two men even bothered to answer as they shuffled the results into a pile and pushed forward the still shots of the TARDIS. "We've had experts analyse the footage and they've determined that it's not doctored. How does your ship work?"

"Temporal and Spatial physics; but I'd go on further although the notion that you'd understand would be...Well, there's not even a chance. Not in this century..."

"So it's not capable of flight, but it can slip through space?"

"Not capable?" The Doctor scoffed. "Of course she's capable. She wouldn't be a ship if she couldn't fly. It just takes years of practice and years of refined skill to get it right. Vortexes are easier."

"And they are-"



"You wouldn't understand. Next question..."

_This is certainly a great time filler until UNIT get here.  
They'd better get here.  
House is a genius. He saw that letter.  
He'd better have.  
He'd be one, sick bastard not to call them.  
Unless...  
No.  
No this wouldn't have been a set-up._

_No. He's a good doctor; A...An interesting friend and he's quick off the mark._

_He won't let me down._

"Where's your planet."

"A long, _long _way away; too far by your standards...Next?"

"Name?"

"Gallifrey."

"Estimated population?"

"One."

"Realistically?"

"I think that's a realistic answer." The Doctor gave a cold look while the two exchanged odd glances.

"How can there-"

"Ever heard of extinction? Because I'm hanging on the fringe of that, so I say again. NEXT."

"We're calling the shots here." One man snarled, slamming his fists on the table. "Not you, so you answer whatever the hell we give you." Dam, they could get aggressive when they wanted to be. The Doctor had been in similar situations like this before, but not to this brutality, and he had always tried to stick clear of this side of the human kind before. Sure, they were an absolutely fantastic and brilliant species that deserved a medal of praise for their advances into new stages of technology and cultural peace, but the Doctor had always thought that the FBI weren't as brutal as they had been made out to be in Popular Culture. But he was old, and to him they were just another faction of the human race to be laughed at for their desperation in the struggle of control and to keep the American Public in line. They weren't about restoring order.  
They were about holding it tightly in their hands until they squeezed the life out of it.

"How did they die?"

"A **war**."



"With who?"

"A race that would make your skin crawl and your legs weak; the Daleks." He answered that question lacking as much emotion as possible, because bringing down his barriers would only enable the fear deep inside to expel out of his body and become clear; and he wasn't prepared to do that in front of strangers. Especially those that belonged to the FBI.

"Can you provide us the schematics and all the data on your technology?"

"Why..." But he already knew the answer.

_Weapons..._

"If your ship is capable of moving through space, we've got a team of scientists being put together that would be more than willing to understand as much as possible about your ship. NASA alone could find out ways to further advance their space-bearing technology to enable us to travel further into space. Computer revolutions, new means of technology and properties from your ship could be adapted to ensure the security of the country will always remain-"

"You want weapons."

The man sighed, but nodded. "Yes. And you don't really have a choice in the matter, so I suggest you tell us where you 'parked' your ship. Sooner we start taking it apart; the sooner we can understand its properties and functions." The way he spoke appeared to be so sincere externally, but the Doctor could see right through him as the greedy sleaze that he was inside. His partner wasn't any better either, because they both wanted the same things for themselves and for their country. Money, power, weapons and highly advanced technology that would make them the leading country in technological advancements.

"I'm sorry, but no. I can't do that." The Doctor said calmly, shaking his head. "There's a reason why you don't have the technology I have now. One being that I'm not from here...But the other being that you're not ready for it; because you humans are a brilliant species yet in the wrong hands unleashing my technology on the world would be catastrophic."

"And would you rather it falls into the hands of the Koreans? Or perhaps Iraq? Because the United States relies on weapons to ensure the safety on this country and to protect the freedom of its-"

"Citizens...Yeah, I've heard that story. But the answer is still no. My ship is my home, and my home is everything to me. Not only are you never going to touch my ship, but you won't find it either. She's hidden in a place you'll never consider."

The men, getting considerably agitated by where this conversation was heading (or lack thereof for that matter), shook their heads and both stood up. "Cuff him. And lock him in the cell until we further analyse the data that we have on him. "One said to the guard stationed by the door. "I'm going to find that fucking ship even if it kills me..."

"Where do you think he hid it?" The partner said as they walked out of the Interrogation room and the door shut behind them.



"Got to be somewhere that's either incredibly obvious and some place we'd dismiss, or somewhere in close proximity to the hospital. Maybe even inside it. I suggest we get the men to do a full sweep."

"Agreed, I'll get on the phone to the boss."

**Authors note: Well! I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised at the number of favourites and story alerts AND reviews that have been placed on this story. I honestly didn't think it'd be so popular, but I was clearly mistaken! I hope you like this chapter!! And expect to see UNIT, which I clearly know nothing about so I'll do my research on them before I write my next Chapter! And remember, I read all of your reviews so please keep them coming! Because every review is another incentive for me to write MORE and feed your addictions! :D**

**And expect more crossovers to come in the future! :D**


	20. Lack of Answers and Tortures

**The Doctor...And the FBI**

It couldn't be mistaken; the sound that echoed off the walls and flowed through the complex rang into the ears of every man and woman stationed at the FBI HQ. That sound was more specifically the blood-curdling shrieks of a Time Lord, forced down onto a stainless steel table and attached to an adjustable electric current. In other words, a perfect torture device.

"Again, it would makes things _fairly _easier if you just revealed the location of your ship. We've had agents scan the area for a good five hours now...And _nothing_. Not even a single drop of fuel...Not even a plant slighty crushed. Care to explain?" Oh that man. That agent...His eyes had the depth of a shallow pond and his smile appeared to be more of a sadistic smirk then anything else. But all in all, he was a man of his job. His agenda focused on his goal of digging for answers from a fairly stubborn individual.

Henceforth, making Agent Derran the perfect agent for interrorgation.  
There was certainly no better.

He held a strong stature with his chin held high, and he prided himself of his professionalism to his duty. He didn't like threats to his family; his home; his planet, and to him the Doctor represented all those things. The Doctor, being an alien entity from another planet with a ship that was capable of slipping through time _and _space... That wasn't just a scientific marvel, that was a threat to everything on Planet Earth. If it had all those capabilities, then what else could it do? Could the Doctor potentially erase him from existance by _preventing _it? Did the Doctor have weapons that could potentially eject the Earth from the Solar System, or blow it into tiny fragments.

Indeed, in his eyes the Doctor was the biggest inconcievable threat that the Earth had ever faced, and they didn't even know it yet.

Now, as high and mighty Agent Derran looked, the Doctor didn't look that at all. Quite the opposite in fact. With his chest bare and nothing but his pinstripe suit-pants loosely clinging to his body, sweat glistened off his skin in the doctor-surgery type lighting. Not to be confused with a fantasy-dream sequence, this was indeed far from it. Three-inch thick titanium steel restraints clung to his ankles and wrists which restrained him in a lying down position, yet the more he had struggled the tighter they had become, eventually getting to the point where they pinched and dug into his bare skin. Adding to the terrorist-worthy accomodation were the FBI'S method of torture; interorgation by electrocution.

The nodes that supplied the adjustable electrical current were connected to various (some sensitive) parts of his body, that including the temples of his forehead, two points on his chest, one on each limb and one behind his neck. The Agent had full control over the electrical current through a portable control-box attached to the nodes which they had wheeled in earlier on. Crude, yet effective for humans. But for Time Lords? They'd have to wait and see.

"How does this help you? T-Torture is _never_ the way to go!" The Doctor managed to snarl between his teeth grinding together in addition to his eyes being clenched tightly shut. His breathing was fast and raspy, not to mention every additional burst of the generator was increasing in Wattage. Time Lords could handle alot mind you, but he never quite got used to the...Creativity of torture methods on the 21st century. In fact, when it came to torture the human race would most likely get the trophy for the most sickening...The most ingenious yet infamous methods known to the Universe. Sure, the Daleks were brutal, the Judoon lacked mercy and the Slitheen were just cruel, but often they would kill. They wouldn't beat around the bush, they'd get the job done.

If humans wanted answers, they'd use physical and emotional trauma to get what they wanted. More spefically, answers.

"Help me? I'm not simply helping _me_. I'm helping the entire human _race_..." Agent Derran replied, his voice cool yet collected. He'd protect human rights, but this man didn't apply. Guilt did not apply in this situation.  
"You see, more often then not, every encounter we've had with an alien race hasn't ended well. The Cybermen...The Daleks, oh yes..._We've noticed_." He leant in, his gruff whispering enough to make a grown mad shudder. "We have noticed every little threat that your kind pose to our docile planet. We have noticed the potential threat that the normality on Earth could potentially cease...Which is why it is _vital _that you reveal the location of your ship."

"The...Technology inside it cannot be tampered with. It cannot be touched by hands that will use it for the wrong reasons, and it most certainly does _not _want to be dismantled." He rasped, his hands almost trembling from the rage he had often fought so hard against which was bubbling to the surface. "I respect the human race...But like every species, it has it's demons." He glared into the eyes of the Agent looking down at him who appeared to be inspecting him like some sort of...Specimen... "You won't find it."

"An answer I expected." Agent Derran sighed, and shook his head in a dissapointed manner, clearly not impressed by the answer that he predicted. Acting on orders and on his own agenda, his arm reached out and gently twisted the adjustable dial of the electric generator which activated the electrical current; beginning with a gentle flow. He then upped the dial a touch so the Wattage output increased, making the Doctor considerably uncomfortable as he twisted and clenched his eyes shut from the pain. Sweat and tears managed to seep through the openings yet the Wattage output only increased further. What began with a slight hint of a buzzing noise became the eventual distinctive sound of a powerful current surging through the 900 year old body of the Doctor. "Still wish to keep your secrets buried?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to utter a forceful no, but he jammed it shut when the next burst surged through his body and came out the exit point of his toe. He trembled and shook, and winced when the restraints only continued to tighten and cut into his skin yet there was nothing he could do. He absolutely refused to tell, and if all else failed he'd regenerate if he had to but that was an ability he would rather not share with the entire Federal Bereau of Investigation. Ships and amazing technology was one thing but if they knew he could restore and create an entirely new body then they wouldn't just perceive him as a threat. They'd see him as the '_thing that had to be destroyed'_.  
He didn't want to become that.

"AHHHHHHH!" He shrieked, the Agent upping the current to an almost unbearable degree. He violently shook and rattled around on the table with his back and the back of his skull frequently slamming against the stainless steel of the table while the shrieks continued to echo on through the complex. His throat was almost becoming sore from the almost un-human howls and cries, but did the Agent care? No.  
Not at all.

"You...You are meant to value human rights.." He managed to say when the Agent lowered the current to a minimal level. "Granted, I'm _not _human but I pose no threat. I've saved this planet more times than you would know. You have no right to do this...It's people like you that don't deserve the rights bestowed upon everyone else.." The Doctor growled. "You're NOT getting the location. You're NOT getting my technology, and I _couldn't care less _how you view me anymore. You deserve no respect, nor do you deserve the uniform you were. You want to protect your Earth? Your _home_? You're...Argh...Hurting one of the only things that can prevent the _real _threats from walking in."

"Real threats?" The Agent suddenly lunged forward towards the Doctor, and his hand took a scalpel as he went. "The _real threat_, is you. Every 'attack' we've had, you are **constantly** there. It all stems with you, and despite the fact that I'm not permitted to dispose of you...Yet, I can at least convince my superiors that we are in danger while _you_ continue to live." The corners of his lips curled upwards in an effort to pose a snide yet subtle grin, and his hand reached forward with the blade of the scalpel directed at the Doctor's chest. "But - You could be spared...OR...Your living situation could be made considerably more comfortable if you decide to provide the information we require. Simple as that, and for a 'Time Lord' with a rather high IQ such as yourself, I'm sure you can see the logic in that..." He chuckled, and lightly pressed the blade just below the area of his left collarbone. As sharp as the blade was, it instantly inserted itself into the Doctor's upper layer, resulting in a quick bleed that seeped out from the wound.

But no, he didn't stop there. Using the Doctor's restraints to his advantage the Agent plunged the blade in further until it remained an inch deep. Then, he slowly moved it further to the right, where he guided it towards the lower right side beneath the Doctor's right collarbone. Of course, the Doctor felt pain while this torture continued. He wanted to shriek, to holler and to fight back with every ounce of strength he had left, yet he didn't want to continue to give the Agent the satisfaction of domination that he was after. The Doctor had to protect his life, yet he also had to protect everything he stood for. And most importantly and at all costs, he had to protect the TARDIS. If he died, so be it. If she were dismantled and used for the wrong reasons, the world might as well be doomed.

"Let's see how you function with one heart.." Agent Derran whispered shrewly in the prisoner's ear whilst quickly removing the scalpel from the bleeding wound. No arteries had been knicked and no major veins were torn, but that could easily change very, very soon. Indeed, this had turned out to be a sick and twisted torture and was beginning to look like something out of the SAW series. The Doctor had never quite been a fan of the movies when his previous companion Rose had introduced them to him, but he did find the human psyche fascinating when it came to life or death. Scary, yet fascinating. But back to the unfortunate present, with the Agent's hand lingering over the location of the two seperate hearts beating within the chest of his 'subject'. He slowly directed the blade towards his desired cutting spot and pricked the surface. "This should be good, but this can be stopped if you just tell me where your ship is located..."

Unfortunately for the agent, all he received from the Doctor was a bout of silence.

"Expected as much. This_ may hurt_." Derran proceeded to put more pressure on the blade, taking pleasure as the blood seeped out of the man when-

"_Agent Derran_! **Enough**." A voice boomed effectively from the now-open door.

"Sir." The surprised Agent dropped the scalpel in the steel tray to the side and placed both arms to his side. Instantly, he paid respect to his superior by remaining silent. If he had done something wrong, then he was going to hear it.

"We are under orders to keep this man _alive_. I understand one of our priorities is to locate and track down his interstellar space-craft however you must not put the patient's health on the line. An alien with useful knowledge is a useful asset Derran, but a dead one is not. Do you understand me agent?"

"Sir, absolutely sir. I apologize for stepping out of line." He felt no fear from his superior, but he knew well enough to keep in good spirits with the 'boss'. "Permission to speak freely sir?"

The superior officer glanced over at the Doctor clamped down to the table for a moment and shot his attention back to that of the agent. "_Granted _Agent, but make it quick."

"**Yes**, I did step out of line. But sir, you must understand that torture is the only effective method to get this alien to talk. He knows the location of his ship with technologies that will protect us from alien threats for years to come, and he knows much more then what he's letting on. But as advanced as he is, he is a biological organism." That sickening smile appeared on his lips for a mere second. "A carbon-based life form that feels emotional and physical pain. He is no different then you or me in that respect, which makes him vulnerable to effective torture methods. He _may _not have cracked today, but if you allow me to continue these methods under a constant medical supervision, I assure you...You and every other superior officer will get the answers that you seek."

In response, the officer kept silent for a moment. He thought and weighed up his options, and gave an approving nod. "I will consult this idea with my colleagues and be back with an answer shortly. I am rather favoured towards this idea with the respect that we keep him well enough to communicate answers. Understood agent?"

"Yes sir. Absolutely sir."

"You are dismissed. I will call on the Chief Medic to suture his wounds back together and you will most likely be permitted to repeat this exercise...Safely...Tomorrow." And with that, the superior officer stormed off and away from the room with a clipboard wedged under his arm. "Oh." He paused, and pointed to Agent Derran. "I will assign two guards to the cell to assure that he doesn't try to make an escape attempt. Remove the restraints and the electrical current generator for now, the medic will be in their shortly for the wounds." Shortly after that sentence the man was gone and nowhere to be seen, leaving the agent to tend to his prisoner.

"Did you hear that? We get to repeat this** tomorrow**." He removed the electrical nodes from the Doctor one by one, and placed them in the steel tin on the tray to his right. He then swiped his card beside each restraint which unlocked each with a sounding 'pop'. The Doctor was a strong man, but when it came to a few straight hours of torture his body could only handle so much. His mind was still 'with it', but he was emotionally exhausted. He struggled to lift his wrists off the cold steel of the metal table, but they just hit back on the surface again. Even if the door was wide open and the guards were all sedated there was no believable way he could escape in his current condition. He had to regain his strength.

"Time to get off the table..." Derran took hold of the Doctor by his bare shoulders and pulled him up into a sitting position while blood continued to trickle from his wounds, and then he gave a quick smirk. "I look forward to repeating this thrilling excercise tomorrow." A chuckle escaped his lips, and he forcefully pulled the Doctor off the table and slammed his lanky body to the ground with a sickening thud; jaw first and the rest of his body fashionably followed which left him in a crumpled and pathetic heap on the floor.

"You...Won't...Know." He rasped. "_Never_."

"Really? I beckon you to re-think that statement." The Agent figured it couldn't hurt to make one final gesture to the Doctor's stubbornness, and greeted the Doctor's lower abdominal muscles with the side of his boot. "Tomorrow, we shall repeat this."

And with that, the lights flickered off and left the Doctor to tremble and groan as he lay in pain on the floor.  
How much longer could this go on?  
When would House pull through?

House would _have _to pull through.  
Unit had to know by now...  
But if not, he was alone. For once in his life, he was absolutely truely alone.

_I'm alone...  
_

**Author's Note: Well, it certainly has been a while since I last updated this. You can thank the last person to review this who spurred me to continue writing it (so whoever you are, give yourself a pat on the back!). Anywho, I'm back! I'm not dead...But I'm back. :D I hope you like this chapter. It focuses more on the Doctor then anything else, but House, Unit and the team will be back shortly!!!**


	21. Beatings, UNIT and Kidnapping, Oh my!

**Author's Note: Well, what can I say? It's been a heck of a long absence I've taken and I've practically slid this story under the carpet to collect dust. However – That does not mean I've become bored or tired of writing. On the contrary, my muse hits me at most unexpected times (mostly when I'm at work). But now I'm at home, and it's knocked on my mind at 'just' the right time. So yes, my writing may be rusty and it might be rigid, but hey… A chapter is just a muddle of words right? Make of it what you will my friends…**

**The Doctor and the FBI…**

"You honestly have _no _idea what you're getting into! You _need _to let me-"

A shallow breath escaped the narrow gap between lips as he gathered every little ounce of strength he had to refrain from letting out a bloodcurdling holler. Now, it was common fact that the Doctor was a man of intelligence and intellectual strength, and with intellectual strength came the will to fight against this… This torture. However that will was slowly crumbling as each brick had slowly crumbled within each painful and staggering day he endured.

Just how many days had he been in here anyhow? Two… Three? To be honest he had lost count, but the good old Doctor was still battling on. Well, he was _trying…_

What had once been a man who stood proud in his suit, tie and disastrously sized overcoat was now a man slumped and strapped down in a chair. That comical, whimsical nature about him had been stripped and the core of the man was so, so vulnerable. He was bloodied, he was bruised and with a split bottom lip and a rather patchy black eye, he was the poster boy for torture. "I know you're doing this from orders, and I know you think that this technology could benefit you… But you're being _misled_… " His eyes further glanced up into the dark brown pools of the agent before him. "A single… Ounce of that technology placed into the wrong hands could-"

"Wrong?" The agent flashed a brief smirk before giving his head a playful cock to the side while his hand stroked the handle of his gun, firmly strapped to his side belt. "Who said we were the wrong hands? I'm sure you didn't because…" He tapped the gun with his fingernails, making an audible sound echo throughout the interrogation cell. "I have a _little _friend here that says otherwise. Now, I'm sure you wouldn't want to upset my little friend here, right?"

While his hearts had weakened and his spirit had almost cracked, the Doctor struggled to lift his head and the stare of the oncoming storm pierced the eyes of the oppressor. "I _said, _you're wrong."

Big mistake. Big, BIG mistake, but the Doctor stood his ground. He hated guns, and firmly disliked the use of them for any particular reason. There was always another solution, even if that solution was never found. Unfortunately, the gun appeared useful in this case it was yanked right out of it's holster and firmly swiped across the Doctor's cheek with a loud 'TWACK', causing the Doctor's held to jolt painfully to the side where he then spat a small pool of blood from his mouth, splattering on the concrete floor below.

"_Now, _we've been doing this all week and still you choose not to give us the information…" The Agent said while placing his gun back down in his holster.

"We give you food, we give you water and you give us 'absolutely' nothing in return. Do you think this is being kind? Of course not, because you're not returning the favour…" He pretended to 'walk' with his fingers as they travelled from his gun to his tazer.

"I'm authorized to do anything but kill you, but there's only so much pain a man can take before he cracks… Although!"

He cranked his head around and shot the Doctor a playful grin. "You're not a man, are you? Which throws the Bill of Human Rights 'completely' out the window! So that leaves me with my next point… For your safety, I'd suggest you tell me what we need to know before this little electric device ends up on various parts of your body…"

His hand clutched the tazer, and waved it in front of the Doctor's face while the Doctor's eyes simply replied back with a menacing glare. "Your face…" The agent teased, moving it towards the Doctor's nose, and then he moved it further down towards his chest. "Your hearts? I'll bet a double heart attack must be a real kick in the pants, right?" And then, he moved it one step down, towards his groin.

"You aliens, you have the same junk down there as we do, right? I'm sure this must be absolutely excruciating… How about we give it a go?" The agent slid his finger onto the activating button, allowing a live electric stream to run through the tazer. All this time, the Doctor could feel his hearts quicken up the pace, yet he wouldn't crack. He absolutely refused to crack. There was no way in Gallifrey that he'd ever allow the TARDIS to end up in the wrong hands, and if he had to go down because of that, then that was a risk he was willing to take.

"I hope you enjoy this as much as I do…" He grinned, bringing the electric stream a mere inch from the Doctor's lower half, and they were about to touch….  
So, _so close…_

I suppose pain is just another biological function…

_I've been here for a week and they haven't gotten to me, so why start now?_

_I guess House never really got the message…. But I can't expect him to perform a rescue on me anyway, and UNIT don't really 'need' to rescue me. No doubt they're got bigger things on their hands. Oh well, I suppose this is what happens when one loses hope…_

"Agent Markus, a word?" A demanding voice boomed following the large metal door that creaked outwards. A man dressed in a black suit stepped in, and lay his hand down onto the shoulder of the agent.

"Step down agent. That's an order."

The agent, keen to continue his torture with the time Lord had a look of disappointment in his face, yet he kept the beam running and ever so closely to the Doctor's sensitive area. His hand trembled for a moment, yet he continued to stay where he was, seemingly unable to follow his superior's command.

"Agent, I gave you an order!" The stranger barked. "Do you want me to explain to the white house as to why our prisoner is in a critical condition with a burnt crotch with you as the cause?"

"Sir… I'm close to getting an answer. If you'd just let me continue I know we can find the location of the time machine. It's possible if you would just give me a little more time…"

"You've had a week and we still aren't any closer to our goal…." The middle-aged stranger adjusted his heavily tinted shades, and then gave an unfortunate sigh. "We've had _orders_ from the White House to let him go."

A heavy silence followed the room, and the Doctor managed to interject the conversation with a stumbling answer. "W-_What_?"

"What?"

The Agent switched off his tazer and shoved the device in his pocket before spinning around to face his superior. "Sir, this must be some sort of a joke. We can't just let him go? He's an alien, and he has the technology that would allow us to traverse time and space… Even you said so yourself! To let him go would be no worse than Newton walking away and ignoring the apple that fell upon his head…." He waved his arms furiously in the air as if to prove some sort of point, and then he balled his hands into trembling fists.

"This is a _joke…_" He snarled. "Ridiculous… So why the sudden change of heart then?"

"The information is classified, even to me." The Superior said coldly before gesturing over his shoulder to two men behind him, clad in some sort of traditional militaria uniform with red berets'. Without words, they swooped in past the FBI suits and began to unclasp the Doctor from his confines. They didn't dare speak, and even without access to keys and swipes they were still able to unlock the restraints that kept the Doctor confined to his chair with some sort of 'blue light' technology that appeared to unlock the devices upon impact.

"Sir, who are they?" The Agent didn't appear to be accepting the fact that after a week worth of torture, he was no closer to gathering any facts about this alien stranger that they had imprisoned, beaten and bruised. Also considering that he was a man quite dedicated to his job he could feel his heart twisting and wrenching, and his pride being sledged slowly and painfully with a hammer and a bright red and white strip of tape labelled 'confidentiality'. No, there was no way he would accept this.

He couldn't.

He _refused!_

"NO!" He snarled, and lunged forward at one of the UNIT men with his hands in a grasping fashion. He wasted no time as he clutched a shoulder of one man who didn't appear quite as surprised as the rogue agent had hoped, and the agent pulled back his fist and shot it forward for a punch. 

Now, the normal scenario would have appeared as followed: The man would get hit, cower down with a split lip and clutch his jaw painfully while the other UNIT soldier and the FBI superior stepped in to break up the fight, yet it didn't even get to that. Instead, the UNIT soldier deflected the punch with a quick and swift move, and then grabbed hold of the fist with his free hand and began to twist the rogue agent's arm.

"H-Hey!" He yelled, feeling the pinch as his arm threatened to pop out of it's socket. "HEY!"

"Enough. Continue and be quick; we have orders." The other UNIT agent spoke, causing the one 'in battle mode' to release the grip on the man's fist and return to the Doctor. Fortunately by now, the Doctor had been released from his inhumane shackles and had both arms slung around the shoulders of the UNIT men as they carried him from two rather surprised FBI suits, appearing to be in a state of shock. It had all happened so quickly, yet silence had filled the room once more while the barely conscious Doctor limped and lightly dragged his feet across the floor as the men 'lifted' him to safety.

"Here, take this." One of the UNIT men paused momentarily before reaching into his pocket and handing a business-type card to the wounded FBI agent whose pride had been absolutely shattered to every extent.

"_What's _this?" He glared at the red-capped stranger and waved the card in his face, which appeared to be blank.

"It's a blank card…"

"And? It's blank!"

"Exactly, which is how much respect I have for gents like yourself, and did you honestly think we'd give you any information?" The soldier scoffed slightly before continuing his slow pace out the doors of the interrogation room where other UNIT members were waiting with a gurney. Of course, attached to that Gurney was a small pack of jelly babies that a member of UNIT had taken the courtesy to throw in. Although the Doctor could feel his hearts quicken with excitement, he was so, so tired and so, so weak. He felt comfort and safety as he felt his head rest onto the gurney pillow but found himself to be quite incoherent while people chatted away above him. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes rolled away at the clock as the wheels rolled beneath him, and the next thing he knew… He was in an ambulance with the sirens blaring and a gent standing over his face while continuously saying '_Doctor, Doctor'._

**Back at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital….**

He wasn't able to make out the face, or who it was… But whoever it was kept tapping him lightly, almost to the point where it was an incessant slapping? Now who could possibly be that annoying? If only he wasn't so tired…

_If only…_

Those minutes had flipped over on the clock faster then the Doctor's hearts could ever beat at full excitement. They turned into hours, and hours turned into days while he lay in his bed with 'round the clock care. He was back at Princeton Plainsboro all right, but under continuous guard from the UNIT soldiers under orders to protect him. And despite being a ridiculously and most brilliantly fast healer, the damaged he had sustained in a week was going to take a fair few more days to heal if he was going to divert the option of regeneration. Occasionally he'd come to and hear fragments of brief conversations being held beside him, or hear the constant noise of rubber tubes and metal fastenings of bandages knocking against the side of his hospital bed, but he'd just fall back into a regenerating coma once more.

From an outsider's perspective, he was being held in a secure and private intensive care room, with all sorts of monitors being connected to his body. He was bandaged and various dressings covered his wounds, along with stitches that held the more severe wounds together. His eyes were black and blue along with 80% of those colours covering his body in forms of boot and fist shapes. But out of everything that he gone through, the man was _surviving…_

_"Doctor… Doctor…"_

_Oh there's that voice again….  
Calling my name, yelling to me. Why are they calling me?  
Is there really a need to answer?  
Perhaps… Perhaps it's time to leave this never-ending dream…._

"Doctor… **Doctor!" **The voice called again, and the Doctor found himself slowly nearing the voice as it drew him further towards it. The closer he got, the louder it became, and the brighter the light shone.

"_**Doctor… **_**DOCTOR!" **In his mind he reached his arms out towards the light, barely grasping what he could barely see, but he was so close now. That constant shouting for somebody who needed him, and he had to answer!

But that voice… It was starting to sound so familiar?

"**DOCTOR!"**

"I'm back! **ALLONS-Y!"** Upon touching the so-called 'light' that flooded his unconscious state, he sprung up into a sitting position and stared into the deep, concerning eyes of…. Wilson?

"Wilson! James! What do I call you?" He laughed, yet still in a semi-delirious state as he clutched Wilson's cheeks and stared at him with an intense gaze for a moment. "Wilson! What day is it? How long have I been out? Clearly the 28 stitches are still holding fine… _Argh_, I can feel every single one of them though…" He rubbed his abdomen painfully, before resting his back down on the bed.

"House must have come through! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant… And please tell your co-workers I really don't hold a grudge. Well, I'm a little tiffed at the fact that they handed me into the hands of tyrants bent on getting answers 'but'!" He raised a finger into the air and then paused to take note of Wilson's seemingly solemn expression. "_Oh no_, don't tell me something could possibly be worse than the Vernax, the FBI and this?"

"Did you see House there? At the compound?"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes and shook his head, matching the concerned mannerisms of Wilson. "Wilson, where's House?"

"Are you sure?"

"Wilson, where is-"

"Are you absolutely, _positively sure?"_ Wilson looked as though he had hit a cracked nerve, and for a brief moment his eye glistened with a tear that was forced to retreat back behind his eyes.

"I didn't… " He bit his lip lightly, but gave a silent yelp when he realised that his lip had two stiches from being belted across the face with a gun. "How long?"

"A day before you were admitted back into intensive care… So about two days from now-" He paused solemnly. "The house was in shambles, the police had found blood on the floor… And a card. They found a blank card?"

_Is this some sort of cheap revenge?  
Is this honestly what they'd play at…_

"Wilson, I'll need to leave. Forget the discharge papers, just need my clothes and the various amount of items that may or may not have fallen out of the never ending depths of my pockets." The Doctor reached out towards Wilson, as if to gesture for his hand. "Help me up?"

"Are you kidding me?" Wilson scoffed. "You've got more stitches in you than a rag doll and you're more blue than skin. You're under 24 hour guard for your own protection… No, not now. The police are looking for House as we speak, but you need a few more days. A week if that!"

"House might not have a few more days, and if I'm right then this is far beyond the police…" The Doctor said coldly, his expression going grave. "He might have gotten me back but there are people out there willing to put the price high up enough to make a trade, and if I'm the subject of that trade then perhaps the trade needs to be followed through before anybody else is hurt…"

"Are you honestly saying what I think you're saying?"

"They can act like they can handle it but take away the thing they need the most, and they get extremely nasty. And to think, this is all for the sake of getting their grubby and greedy hands on _technology. _My technology, although quite amazing… But technology nonetheless…" He sighed. "Wilson, he doesn't have much time…"

_These people… They'll never leave me alone, will they?_

_**Authors note: AND DONE! Now, I know the thing is quite sloppy and rusty and so on and so forth, but it's been quite a bit since my last chapter. But feel free to rip and tear at it all you'd like. The more you take off to chew, the more I learn so I can fill those holes with new and exciting tips and tricks! :D I'm back guys, I'm BACK!**_


	22. Story Update: Yes, I am still Alive!

**STORY UPDATE:**

Hello, hello,

**_HELLO _****all from Sydney, Australia!**

Well, it's certainly been quite a while since my early days of writing!

I just wanted to swing by, check on some stories, read some good ones and what-not, and I

**_happened_****to notice that this story STILL has a pretty strong following!**

So, I ask you... Heart to hearts national and abroad, do you still want me to continue this story?

And I ask you one further question which I'd require the

**_utmost display of honesty_****; I am planning on writing a book, a REAL book. Do you think I have the potential, the ability or the writing-style to pull it off? The story-line is solid, but I wanted to check first.**

Answers for these questions can be forwarded to my email: .rose , or you can review here. That's fine... I also wanted to say thanks for continuing to read my work. I appreciate it... Cheers guys!


	23. House Isn't House Anymore

**Author's Note: HEY GUYS! Sorry for the delay, but here it is! A stepping-stone to keeping this story alive! Now, I took a bit of artistic liberty here by really making life unpleasant for one of our lovable characters, but enjoy!**

**House:**

_Drip._

Drip.

Drip.

The constant, never-ending echo of water falling reverberated off the walls as a man lay on a slim table in the center, with only minimal light illuminating his location. Taut synthetic straps dug into the skin around wrists and ankles but did not bother to offer resistance as the 'prisoner' lay there as he was coming to some degree of consciousness, too weak to even think about struggling in his current condition.

_Drip._

Drip.

Drip.

"Ugh…" The man groaned, and instinctively went to reach over to his left to check his phone, but he was greeted with those fairly unpleasant straps that had been holding him down and imprisoning him to the bed. "What…" He flickered his eyes around to as much degree of scope as possible, but with one dim light hovering above him, at most all he could see was his torso and his bare feet planted at the edge of the bed. He gave his wrists a good tug but to no avail, chances are whoever had placed him here didn't want him to leave easily any time soon. He also felt a cold chill over his body, his skin was bared above his waist with what appeared to be a thin material covering his lower half.

"HELLO!" He yelled, but the echoes fell on deaf ears.

"HEY! Kidnapping a disabled guy is-" House paused, realizing the pros AND cons of now having an 'able' leg. No longer was he able to play the disabled card; not now, and never again. "You get out here and show your face!"

With a bit more shifting, pulling and tugging, House hadn't made any headway and it didn't change the fact that he was still bound to the bed, in a room of mostly pure darkness with no idea as to how he had gotten there, or who had put him there. But logic dictated that this had _something _to do with the Doctor, or 'top secret' alien know-how. He _did_however hope that his last-minute plan had come through for the man, considering how much crap the two-hearted nomad had put up with in American healthcare.

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

"Did you realize you have to call a plumber!?" Always a man of wisecracks, but even in this situation he didn't feel up to a bout of humor. Truthfully he wanted to face his oppressors and just leave, but the feeling that he'd walk free anytime soon was sparse. Just where _was he? _He couldn't even remember the last 24 hours, but had it been longer than that? The very _last_thing he could possibly remember was watching Star Trek and openly mocking the lack of scientific authenticity, but beyond that memory things were just at a total blank.

"HEY!" One more holler couldn't hurt, right? Well, it may not have hurt but it _did _receive a 'response'.

A bright light which could be easily compared to the high beams off a semi-trailer switched on from the upper wall with a heavy _'whack' _and tore into the crisp blues of House's eyes, causing him to shy away by twisting his neck to the side and closing his eyes.

"Mind turning it down?! You're still going to have to call the plumber, let alone the electrician!" House wasn't prepared for a fight, but he was prepared for one _hell _of an argument.

Deep footsteps echoed from above, followed by a voice that chuckled from what appeared to be behind the source of the light. "You realize you're not in a position to barter for better conditions, let alone demand them?" A smooth voice, male, and most certainly arrogant, as deduced by House.

House attempted to glare at the source of the noise, but the most he could make out without burning his retinas was a smudged silhouette of a male figure, most likely aiming to keep his identity a secret. "What's this about? I assume identity is an issue, so what show is after you? 'To Catch a Predator?', or perhaps kiddies aren't your style?" Oh yes, while all hope was lost his wisecracks were still deeply wedged into the metaphorically iced-over heart lodged in his chest.

"We were warned of your 'attitude'…" The voice snarled. "But no matter, we have _you _and that's all that matters."

"Oh, how sweet." House cooed mockingly. "I don't see a dinner set out for me, or did you want to get straight to the fun part. Side note; I'm not a fan of chocolate edible underwear, but throw me a caramel and we'll get talking…."

The man simply shrugged, and turned to his left. "Lights."

Suddenly, the high beams switched off resulting in pure darkness, but what followed were the activation of more _generous _lights, illuminating the room as any office lights would. But this didn't provide House with any hope. Rather, it took away from that, and left him with a heavy feeling in his chest from the dread of what was to come. He was indeed, held down by synthetic restraints of the highest grade, and attached to the metal bars of a hospital-grade bed. The 'bed' comprised of a thin hospital-standard mattress no more than an inch thick, which lay over a depressing sheet of stainless steel – an operating table more or less.

He glanced over to the side to see an EKG monitor that had been switched off, as well as a side-tray with a scalpel as well as various other surgical tools that appeared to be sterilized and ready for an apparent surgical procedure. Deep down, he _hoped _that wouldn't be for him, but in these situations hope wasn't enough.

In terms of surroundings, House was in a room. By room, it was no bigger than his office back at Princeton Plainsboro, except the walls were white. There were also no windows except the large glass screen connected to the wall he 'faced', but the mystery man who had been mocking him from up high was nowhere to be seen, including any 'help' that had most likely stood beside him. The single door matched the paint of the wall, the floor was tiled and spotless clean and those annoying halogens that lit up the room emitted that extremely annoying 'hum' he had become so accustomed to hating.

The door slid open quicker than House could snap his attention to, and a man clad in a black suit stepped forward, a sly grin on his face. "I'm pleased we have the pleasure of meeting… Derran is the name." He gave a coy smile and ran his hand across the metal railing of the bed as he began to approach his prisoner. "Agent Derran, actually. And welcome! How rude of me."

"You're _starting _with apologies? How quaint, and here I was _thinking _that this was a 'Try before you buy Brothel experience'".

"Cute." Derran leant over the man to observe him; to get a good look at him in his vulnerable state. "But chances are, you're _probably _wondering why you are here, and what all this-" He gestured to the surgical tools. "Is about. So!" Agent Derran raised a finger in the air and pointed to the EKG machine. "You're going to be the subject of a _highly _experimental procedure!"

"I _assume _you mean illegal surgery?" House interjected, feeling that heavy weight in his chest return.

"You assume correctly. See, we had your 'friend' in our company recently. Lovely fellow, but a little slack to fill us in on vital information." The Agent appeared gleeful regarding his plan, yet retained a professional front. "_You _make a phone call, _you _cause UNIT to come by and because of _you_, we no longer have ET in our possession, and the United States Government no longer has the _one _thing that they've been after for a very, very long time. Do you see where _you_come into this?"

"_You_ forgot one thing…" House frowned. "_You _don't own him. That, and he's saved your lives on more occasions than you can count on your three fingers. Tell me, how does it feel having your sister as your mom?"

"Again, _cute_. But we were warned of your attitude. Needless to say the United States Government is not entirely thrilled, but upon kidnapping you merely out of spite we've been fortunate to discover that you're carrying a _great deal _of this radiation consistent with observed spatial anomalies…"

"And this relates to illegal surgery _how_? For a 'top secret' agent, you're quite terrible at getting to any particular point."

"_Well_… See, here's the thing. You're an ex-space traveller. We have a procedure that may be potentially compatible with somebody who _carries _this particular type of radiation. _You _carry that, so we're going to give you a little of this, a little of that and see what happens." He shrugged. "Of course we have research by some of our top scientists to back this up, but realistically this is a 'stab in the dark'. Isn't science fun?"

House, for once in his life had nothing to say on the subject. He lay there, his attention fixed to the ceiling and his breath coming out in delayed exhales. _Was this really the end? It couldn't be… I still have so many more sexually inappropriate jibes for Cuddy… Not to mention I still have to fire my entire team when I get back. Too much to do; it can't all end now!_

"So, this here…" Derran tapped a syringe with a crimson red fluid in it, but it wasn't blood. It had a tinge of yellow swirling within the red hues and a denser black liquid had pooled at the bottom. "Is more a 'concoction' our top scientists have put together, with the help of that space-traveller of course. Added are a few catalysts, vitamins and minerals, and from what I remember… _DNA_. But don't ask me what it does, they just told me to have a surgical team ready." He waved towards the door which summoned four surgeons and two nurses clad in blue scrubs, all keeping silent.

"So." Derran handed the syringe to the male doctor on his right. "I'm going to watch from a safe distance while these professional guys do their thing. I _might _want to warn you though, this _may _be a touch uncomfortable." He straightened out his suit, and gestured to Gregory House lying on the table. "Good luck." And with that, he was out the door and standing up in the viewing area, that coy smile still glued to his face.

"Right!" The lead surgeon exclaimed, and began making commands left, right and center. The EKG machine was switched on; needles were hooked up to skin and within minutes a nurse had secured the upper part of House's limb as they slowly inserted the needle into the most easily accessible vein that they could find.

"You're not going to anesthetize?" House _had _to comment on this little mishap. _What kind of doctors were these?!_

He was blatantly ignored the procedure carried on. Carefully, the head surgeon pressed down on the plunger of the syringe, and the crimson mystery liquid was inserted into his blood stream. "XL-TZ103 administered to Dr. Gregory House at 3:08pm, surgical team on standby for adverse reactions." The surgeon noted, which meant he was recording his progress on this 'adverse procedure'.

_Normally I'd consider this strange, but after going on an Intergalactic jaunt, this is probably just the tip of the iceberg…_

House watched from his limited scope as the surgical team stepped back to a 'safe' distance, and they were observing him as if something was expected to happen. His icy blue eyes stared longingly at the ceiling, but then he felt it.

It was subtle at first; the odd tingling in his extremities and his spinal column made him shift a little bit, but he kept movement of his back to a minimum. Whatever the result, he didn't want to alarm them in case they decided to panic and surgically operate. _What _they were planning to operate on, he had no clue…

Seconds later, a shooting pain through his rib cage shook his train of thought, and that pain spread to his neck; his arms, his legs, and his pelvis. Actually, the pain was starting to radiate all over, but it was an unusual pressure that almost felt as if it was pulling and pushing throughout his entire being. A searing heat followed, and he clenched his jaw as he heard a painfully audible cracking (and felt it) of various bones throughout his body. He had _no _idea what was happening to him, but his heart rate rose along with the state of panic he felt himself be thrust into.

"HEY!" He had opened his mouth to yell, but upon doing so he found he didn't have _any _vocal cords to produce a voice, as they were being crushed, stretched and twisted to a new shape. He went to glance at the team standing by, but he found his vision faltering as the world around him became dimmer and dimmer, and the sound became more muffled with every breath he took. Even his breath became short, as his lungs felt like they had been crumpled to breaking point.

A silent scream escaped his mouth, or what remained of that, as he struggled to flail his arms around in their restraints, but he found his arm never hit the physical barriers of the restraints. Instead, he was met with air, air and more air. His legs were in the same situation, and after continuous stretching, pummeling and cracking, his sight, vision and all sense of feeling had been thrown out the window – and then it was black.

House was gone.

Well, gone from complete consciousness for an hour at best. In lapses of brief awakening he could hear the sounds of people hovering around him, scribbling down any results they could gather, but he had blacked out before he had gained a proper understanding of _what _had just happened. He felt his body had slackened after being so rigid during _whatever _had happened to him, but he still felt 'contained' somehow.

"Welcome back!" The voice of that _extremely irritating _agent hovered above him, and loud enough to reverberate in his ears. Wait, how the heck was it above him?

House forced his eyes open, and his heart sank. By sinking, it fell so hard through his chest it temporarily cut off all blood from his body, and returned it with a punch. His jaw went slack, and he didn't even have the strength to summon his body from the bed he had been lying on for the past hour. He could only find the strength to stare _up_at Agent Derran, who appeared to be very, very large. In comparison, House could only have been roughly 4 inches tall.

"I see our treatment had some _interesting results_…" Derran smiled, and lowered his body so he could get a good look at the experimental results through the glass confines of House's 'container'. "Mind you, we didn't expect you to _shrink_, let alone change species…"

"What do you…" It was unlike House to be lacking so many colorful replies, but he wasn't really in his element right now. To be honest, he wasn't even in his own body.

"How rude of me…" Derran reached over and grabbed a simple hand mirror, and held it up to House.

That slackness in his body now turned to rigidity as the prisoner got a decent view of his body as well as his surroundings. Beyond the glass confines of his prison, he could see a vast laboratory with men in lab coats running this way and that, but to him they appeared as lumbering giants. The simple bench top he was on appeared to be a cliff-side plummet at the edge, and while it was merely a lab-standard bench, it appeared to be as wide as a runway.

Yet it was his newfound body that _really _caught his attention. He slowly crept towards the mirror being held up for his convenience, and his jaw dropped-again. He was… Blue. Not his eyes, his body. Black pools replaced his eyes, and his features had become very sharp. By sharp, they were very accentuated and pointed, such as his nose and ears. His hair was gone, and three digits replaced the normal five acceptable by human standards. The most interesting feature was two 'growths' protruding from his back. By growths, wings similar to the dragonfly, although House wasn't ready to accept them as _anything _just yet.

In fact, he couldn't even believe that he was staring at his own reflection. He didn't look anything _like _himself; he simply looked so _alien_. He was speechless, lost for words and absolutely in a sheer state of shock.

But he did find a moment to muster a few words.

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?" He shrieked, kicking his foot against the glass wall and pointing furiously at Agent Derran, who simply smirked in response.

"YOU HAVE TURNED ME INTO A…A…"

"Monster? More like alien… See, turns out that little concoction tumbled together with the radiation and the transfiguration-properties of the DNA we collected from your friend and _you_can see the results."

"FIX THIS!" He shrieked.

"I _would… _But I've got to go fill out some paperwork on your behalf. We now have _our _very own alien to enjoy, and we're not going to let go of it anytime soon. We'll talk soon." And with that, he was gone.

House was alone in the confines of his own cell; his humanity had been taken from him and he had no means of calling for help.

_Doctor, I really hope you can get me out of this mess… _


End file.
